


Lost and Found

by DeputyMom62, KayleighH2203



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Recovery, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-01-16 08:49:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 65,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21268307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeputyMom62/pseuds/DeputyMom62, https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayleighH2203/pseuds/KayleighH2203
Summary: Anna lives alone near the woods, recovering from trauma in her past. One day, she hears a child crying, and sets about a chain of events that leave her playing host to the Elven King.New Discord server for chat and fic discussion: https://discord.gg/uzFGdfQAll are welcome!





	1. Prologue

_ Upper Washington State _

_ Spring Equinox _

Anna pulled the woolen beanie securely on over her dark hair. Despite it being spring, the temperature was still barely hitting the mid forties. She opened the back door and grabbed the two buckets that waited for her before stepping out. Licking her lips, she pursed them and let out a sharp whistle. Almost immediately, clucking came from the chicken coop and snorting from the pig pen. Anna started heading to the coop but paused for a moment. Had that been the wind? Or a trick of her imagination? She could have sworn she heard….no, that was ridiculous, there was no one else for miles. She headed for the coop once more, the flock of a dozen or so Rhode Island Red and Delaware hens emerging from roost in search of their next meal.  
“Good morning, ladies,” Anna said as she let herself into their run, “Have we laid lots of lovely eggs?” The hens jostled each other as Anna filled up their feeder.  
“Alright, now, play nice,” she said, “I’ll be back later to check for your eggs.” She carefully picked her way back to the gate and headed towards the pig sty. 

She stopped. There it was again! She was certain she had heard it now! But still, there was no one for miles, it was probably just being carried by the wind.  
“Martha, Bertha, come and get it!” she called. A few snorts and snuffles later, the two Berkshire pigs emerged from their shelter, trotting over to their trough in anticipation of their meal. Anna dumped their feed out into the trough, watching as the two sows began to eat. It came again, crystal clear this time. A child crying. Anna put down the bucket and looked around, trying to pinpoint the direction. It came again. The woods! She jogged towards the woodland that lay a short distance away. The cries came again, stronger this time.  
“Hello?” she called, “Hello?! Can you hear me? I’m coming!” 

She weaved through the trees, following the sound until she emerged in a clearing. Sat in the centre was a small child, no more than three or four years old with long blonde hair.  
“Hey,” she said softly, “Hey there, it’s okay, I’m here.” She crouched down as the child turned. She still couldn’t tell if it were a boy or a girl. Big fat tears slid down their cheeks as they blinked at her.  
“Hi,” she said, “I’m Anna. What’s your name?” The child blinked again, wiping tears away on the back of their little hand.  
“Anna,” she said again, pointing to herself. A small hand pointed towards her.  
“Anna?”  
“Yes! Anna!”

The child pointed to themselves, sniffling slightly.  
“Legolas.”


	2. Strange New World

Thranduil felt the fear rising in his throat.  
"Legolas!" he yelled, desperately straining to hear a reply, a cry, anything that would tell him where his young son was. Close behind him, Galion and the ever-faithful Feren followed, their keen eyes scouring their surroundings for a hint of the young Prince. For two weeks, they had been scouring the forest as the young boy seemed to vanish into thin air. For two weeks, the King had not paused to take rest, let alone sleep. His wife had passed less than ten years before. Their son, Legolas, all he had left of her, was missing.  
“_Ernil! Ernil Legolas!_” the sounds of the other Elves scattered throughout the area searching filtered through the trees.  
“It is hopeless,” Thranduil murmured as he came to a stop before his two companions, “We will never find him.”  
“No, my King!” Feren said, hurrying forward, “The prince will be found, I swear on my life, I will not rest until he is returned to you.”  
"It has been two weeks, and we have found neither hide nor hair of him,” Thranduil said quietly, “No tracks or trails left behind. It is as if he simply….”  
“Left this world, and journeyed to another,” a female voice came from his left. Thranduil turned, sword drawn at the newcomer although he soon lowered it when he recognized the Lady of Light who stood before him.  
“Your Majesty,” she said, bowing her head to him. He returned the gesture, more out of respect for her age than deference.  
“You know what has become of my son?” he said, “Tell me.”  
“I wish to tell you my only regret is that we could not tell you of the plan before we carried it out," she said, "Time was of the essence. We have been watching what remains of the Dark Lord Sauron for quite some time, and his attention had turned to the young Prince. Rumors abound from those with Foresight that the Prince will play some great role in the wars to come, possibly even in Sauron’s Downfall. We could not hesitate, and sent him somewhere he would be safe.”  
“He was safe with me,” Thranduil growled.  
“He is a child, and a child needs a mother,” Galadriel said calmly, “And I found a mother who needed a child.”  
"Speak, plainly! I have no time for riddles and hidden meanings!" Thranduil snapped his rage at her meddling, starting to replace his fear.  
“We sent him through the Fairy Ring close to the eastern gate of Mirkwood,” Galadriel said, “The walls between this world and the next are thin there, and it was easy to slip an Elfling through.”  
“You sent my son to another world without telling me?!”  
“There was little time, with Sauron's attention on him, I had to act immediately."  
“Two weeks! He has been missing for two weeks! And now you come and tell me of your interference, witch!”  
“I wished to deliver this message in person.”  
“What gives you the right to make this decision?” the Elven-King snarled.  
“I am a mother, and if I were in your position, I would send my child away to safety than risk their life.” Thranduil turned from her and stomped away a short distance before turning back.  
“Bring him back.”  
“I cannot,” she said, “Unless he is within the Fairy Ring on the other side, I cannot bring him back through. If you wish for him to return, you must go fetch him. The Ring is complete once every seven days. If you leave now, you will arrive whilst the gateway is open.”  
“Then go I shall!" Thranduil said before letting out a sharp whistle. There was a moment of silence, and his massive War Elk appeared between the trees.  
“To the Fairy Ring!” he ordered.

The ride was long and hard, filled with numerous dangers that haunted what had once been the mighty Greenwood. Wargs, spiders and other fell beasts now haunted the trees. Thranduil lost two guards on the journey, but it was a small price in his eyes for the safe return of his son. Finally, they arrived, and he was most displeased to find Elrond, Lord of Rivendell and Mithrandir, the Grey Wizard already there, waiting.  
“I suppose you both had a hand in this,” he snarled as they moved aside.  
“Please, Your Majesty, try to understand,” the Wizard said, “We had to move quickly, there was no time...”  
“I care not!” Thranduil snapped, “All I want is my son.”  
"Well, the Fairy Ring is complete, so travel to him is possible," Elrond began.  
"Good," Thranduil cut him off and brushed past him. The complete circle of wild mushrooms was mere feet away, and his long legs covered the distance easily.  
“King Thranduil, wait!” the Half-Elven called, “Your Majesty, time there….”

But it was too late. The moment the Elven-King stepped into the Ring, he vanished.

*

Thranduil felt disorientated, almost as if he were drunk. He blinked several times as he looked around, trying to ground himself and make sense of his surroundings. For a brief moment, he thought he was still in Mirkwood, but then he realized, the trees were smaller, the air less dense. Bright sunlight shone through gaps in the canopy. It had worked. The Fairy Ring, whatever ancient magic it was, had brought him through to the world next to his own. Now to find his son. He heard a child’s laughter through the trees. Legolas’ laughter. He let out a relieved sigh. He had thought he would never hear his son's musical laugh ever again. It had been heard so rarely in the years since the death of the Queen. Now it was like he was hearing it for the first time all over again. His heart soared, and he followed the sound, weaving through the trees towards the edge of the forest. He emerged on a slope, leading down to a small dwelling. A farm by the looks of it. He could see a barn, a pigsty, and some chickens. The wind blew, and it carried Legolas' laughter once more, along with another, a female’s.

_A child needs a mother, and I found a mother who needed a child_.

Galadriel's words crossed his mind as his ears strained to pinpoint, where Legolas' laughter was coming from. His eyes swept across the farm and noticed one of the rear windows was open. Inside. Legolas was inside.

Carefully, he made his way down the small embankment towards the house. He could hear low music coming from the house too. Legolas was chattering excitedly, and the female was responding. The chickens scattered as he strode across the yard towards the house. He reached out and tried the handle on the door. The door opened easily, and he stepped inside. He found himself in what he could only assume was a kitchen. A large ceramic sink was by the window, a few plates and some cutlery lay at the side on the wooden countertop. A vase of brightly colored flowers stood in the center of a small round table in the center of the room with four chairs around it. A small child's crude drawings decorated some of the surfaces. They seemed to feature a small yellow-headed figure and a larger dark-haired one. Had Legolas drawn these? Another laugh drew his attention back towards the far side of the room. He turned and headed towards the doorway. A scraping sound made him pause. His cloak had gotten caught on one of the chairs and dragged it behind him. He sighed and freed himself from the chair. The voices had stopped although the music still played. He followed the sound down a small hallway, the floorboards creaking beneath his boots. His heart pounded. After two long weeks, he was finally going to be reunited with his son. He turned through another doorway and saw him.  
  


Legolas was unchanged, although he was dressed strangely. He stood a few feet from Thranduil, his head tilted to one side as he looked him up and down. Thranduil couldn’t help but smile at his son. He had found him, at last, he had finally found him, alive and well. There was movement behind the boy, and Thranduil looked up. A woman scooped Legolas up into her arms and held him close.

“Stay back,” the woman said, “Stay away from my son!” Thranduil’s jaw clenched. Her son?! He had never met this _firieth_ before, she certainly wasn’t Legolas’ mother. He drew himself up to his full height, an intimidating six and a half feet in his boots and took a step forward, intent on removing Legolas from her grasp one way or another. Then he noticed, her eyes were looking around wildly; she was frightened and looking for a way to defend herself. She lowered Legolas and pushed the child behind her. No. She had little care for herself...she was defending his son.  
“Legolas,” he said quietly, as gently as he could at that moment, “It is me, your _Ada_.” His heart broke to watch the child’s brow furrow in confusion, he didn't recognize him.  
“_Naneth_,” Legolas whined, pulling on the short robe the woman wore, “Make him go away.””  
“Get out of my house before I call the police,” the woman’s tone was threatening as one hand rested on Legolas’ head.  
“Not without my _ion_,” Thranduil said, unmoving.  
“Get out of my house!”  
“_Naneth_!” Legolas sobbed.  
“Enough of this!” Thranduil roared, far louder than he intended. He reached out and seized Legolas’ hand.  
"No!" the woman screamed, but it all seemed to fade away as his son's eyes widened in recognition.

Warmth seemed to ebb and flow from where their fingers touched, and Thranduil ran his thumb over the back of Legolas' hand.  
“_Ada_?” Legolas’ voice was barely more than a whisper.  
“_Ma, ion nin_,” he smiled.  
“_Ada_!” Legolas cried, throwing himself forward, releasing the woman’s robe and into Thranduil’s arms.

*

Anna stared at the scene before her, unable to move. Her heart was pounding, adrenaline pumping through her veins just moments before. Now she felt drained. The giant of a man who had been blocking the door only moments ago was now on his knees. Legolas was wrapped in his arms, joy on his face. Taking deep breaths, she looked at them. Her heart dropped as she noticed similarities between the two. The same silver-blond hair, the same dark brows, their eyes were the same ice-blue color. Her breath caught in her chest as the man's head tilted and she saw delicately-pointed ears...just like Legolas. She had been waiting for this moment for two years. Someone had finally come and claimed the boy, and it looked like it was his father. She closed her eyes for a moment, to compose herself, but when she opened them, both Legolas and the stranger were gone.  
"Legolas?" she breathed, blinking, and looking around, "Legolas!" The back door slammed.  
“No! Wait!” she cried.

*

“_Ada_, where are we going?” Legolas asked as Thranduil strode across the yard, the boy resting on his hip.  
"Home," Thranduil replied simply, marveling at how the boy spoke the common tongue of Westron so fluently now.  
“What about _Naneth_?” Legolas asked, looking behind them, “Is she coming too?”  
“She is not your _naneth_,” Thranduil said firmly, feeling rage well up that the woman would so quickly install herself as Legolas’ mother. It felt disrespectful to his late wife.  
“But is she coming?”  
“No.”  
“Legolas!” the woman’s voice came from behind them, “Stop! Please!” Thranduil sighed and picked up his pace. He had no time for this, he needed to get home to his Kingdom.  
“No! Please, don’t take him from me!” the woman sobbed as Thranduil strode up the embankment and into the trees.

She wasn’t giving up, keeping pace with him. He was almost impressed with her tenacity. She continued to call after them, following them into the woods even though Thranduil knew there was no way she had stopped to put something on her feet.  
“You can’t do this!” she cried, “I have taken care of him for two years! You can’t just take him away from me!” Thranduil paused.  
“Two years?” he said as he turned to face the woman, “Two years? You believe I would abandon my son to the care of a _firieth_ for two years?!”  
“Yes! Because it happened!” she retorted, “Two years, no one came looking for him. I raised him as my own.” He snorted and turned back, heading further into the woods and towards the Fairy Ring.  
“Where are you even going?" the woman called, showing no signs of giving up, "There's nothing that way but mountains and wilderness. You can't take a young child out there!" Thranduil's patience finally gave way, and he pulled his sword from its sheath on his belt, pointing it towards her, the tip a mere inch from her face.  
"I grow tired of your lies and attempts to discomfit myself and my son," he snarled, "I intend to take my son home and leave you to your wretched life." He whipped the sword away so that it swished through the air, leaving the woman speechless in shock and only able to watch as he stalked onwards, ignoring Legolas’ cries to go back to the woman.

He felt disorientated again. As he had brandished his sword towards the firieth's face, her eyes had widened in fear. What he saw in them had made him uncomfortable. He tightened his grip on his son. Her eyes. They were unusual, her irises were sky-blue around the edge leading into green around her pupil. He had only seen eyes like that once before in all his years: his wife. He blinked, he could see the clearing up ahead, they were close to home. They emerged into the clearing and Thranduil breathed a sigh of relief; this whole arduous episode was soon to be over. He stepped into the circle, expecting to be instantly back in his kingdom….only nothing happened. He remained where he was, staring at the same trees and even the _firieth_ as she stumbled into the clearing. It wasn’t working.  
“I...I do not understand...” he said, “Why is this not working?” Legolas finally wiggled his way free, and he dropped to the ground.  
“Look, _Ada_,” he laughed, “Piggie!” Thranduil turned and saw a brown wild pig trotting back into the trees.  
“The Fairy Ring?” the woman said, “You came here using the Fairy Ring?” Thranduil blinked at her.  
“My grandmother used to tell me stories about visitors coming through the Fairy Ring," she said gently, "If the stories are true, you're stuck here for a while. Look." She nudged one of the mushrooms that made up the Ring with her foot. He looked down. There was a gap, the mushrooms destroyed, no doubt by the wild pig that had just run off. Legolas broke free of Thranduil’s grip and bounded up to the woman who lifted him into her arms.  
“Then we shall have to intrude upon your hospitality for a week until the ring is regrown,” he said firmly, leaving no doubt he intended to remain close by and leave at the earliest opportunity. The woman let out a laugh.  
“You’ll have longer than that so you’ll be able to work on your manners,” she said, “The Fairy Ring is only complete for one day a year. Come tomorrow, these will all start dying off. By summer it will be gone completely.” Thranduil’s heart sank. A year? How was that even possible?

“_Your Majesty, time there….”_

Elrond’s words echoed in his mind. Two years, the woman claimed to have been caring for Legolas for two years. If time moved differently here, as he suspected Elrond had attempted to warn him, that could explain why he had been searching for two weeks whilst this _firieth_ claimed it to have been significantly longer. He swallowed as the realization settled in. Until the Fairy Ring regrew and was opened once more, he was trapped here. He was to be trapped here for an entire year.


	3. Manners

Thranduil reluctantly followed the woman back to the house, rage boiling in his stomach as he watched her laugh and talk to Legolas. A year! He was stuck in this world, with this impertinent _firieth_, for a year!

How dare she lecture him on his manners! No matter, he had a year to teach her _her_ place. He inspected her attire and decided he would first instruct her how to dress appropriately. The thin pink silk robe she wore was utterly inappropriate to be worn in front of Legolas. No female in his Kingdom would ever stand before him, and his heir with her legs exposed as hers were.

And did she not know how to suitably address a King? She did not even have the decency to hold the door open for him as he followed her back inside. She lowered Legolas to the floor and turned to face him. The scandalously short robe gaped open. From his much greater height, he could see the soft swell of her exposed cleavage. He swallowed.

It had been a long time since he had felt the warmth of a female... but no! He would not allow himself to be distracted by her that way! What was wrong with him?! His wife would be ashamed!

Her eyes raised and locked on his, he quickly looked away, displeased to feel the warmth that crept into his face. Damn her and her inappropriate attire!

Legolas laughed.  
“_Ada_! Your face is pink!" the boy chuckled. The woman looked back up to him and then down. Realizing how her robe gaped, she quickly pulled it across her body.

"Come on, Legolas, let's get you dressed," she said, extending a hand towards the child before looking back at Thranduil, "You, wait here." Thranduil's brows raised at the order. Impertinent wench! He was King, he took orders from no one. Especially not a scantily-clad _firieth_!

Legolas took her hand, and she led him away. Thranduil listened as their footsteps went down the hall and up the stairs. He heard a door shut and then nothing. After a few moments, he could hear muffled voices, but he could not distinguish the words. Sighing, he shed his cloak and dropped it over the back of a chair and looked more carefully around the room.

There were dozens of sketches, obviously drawn by his son, decorating the room. He studied each one as he unfastened his sword and slung it across the chair with his cloak. Almost all of the pictures featured some representation of Legolas and the woman he now called _his Naneth_.

Others featured another dark-haired figure, but one, in particular, caught his attention. A picture of a crudely painted forest, the usual small depiction of Legolas but next to it was a much larger figure with yellow hair. His breath caught in his throat. Could it be? Had Legolas thought of him during the two years he was without his _Ada_?

He reached out, noting a thin brown line across the figures' heads. Their spring crowns. His child remembered him! He closed his eyes, willing tears not to fall. He could not show weakness, not in this strange place.

A door slammed above him.  
“Legolas! Don’t slam the doors!” the woman’s voice called.  
“Sorry, _Naneth_,” Legolas replied, “I’m going to see _Ada_."

"Wait for me!" He heard running footsteps. She did not trust him, nor could he blame her; he did not trust her.

They were strangers, their only connection being Legolas. He stepped away from the painting and took a deep breath. His earlier anger was dissipating. Legolas was happy and healthy, and obviously well cared for, and he should be grateful for that.

It was not in Lady Galadriel's nature to fully explain her reasoning or her actions. From what the _firieth_ had said, she had simply found Legolas abandoned outside her home. She had taken him in out of the goodness of her heart, not under orders.

A thundering clatter came down the stairs, and seconds later, Legolas was there. Thranduil resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the strange fashion he was dressed in and the way his long, blond hair was tied back.

"_Ada_! You're still here!" Legolas cried, rushing forward and wrapping his arms around Thranduil's knees. "Of course, _ion nin_," he replied, looking up as the woman entered, "I would never leave you willingly."

He was somewhat relieved to see her more modestly dressed, or at the very least, her cleavage and legs covered, although their shape was not so well disguised. Their eyes met, and he felt disquieted.

Her eyes were so eerily like those of his late wife, it was uncanny. She blinked and looked away first, busying herself with some task. Thranduil stirred Legolas towards the picture. "Who is this?" he asked, kneeling next to his son.

"That's me and you, _Ada_,” Legolas said, “I dreamed of you!” Thranduil smiled as the boy beamed back at him.  
“Do you remember,” he asked, “When we sat together in the forest, just us two? You made _Ada_ a beautiful crown to wear?" "You made me one too!" Legolas exclaimed excitedly, "And then we climbed a tree, and you told me 'bout the yeti Varna!" "The Lady Varda," Thranduil corrected him gently, "And yes, _ion nin_, I remember.”  
“The tree was very tall, far away from here,” Legolas said quietly, “Why are we here?”

There was a clatter and a muttered curse behind them. Thranduil looked over his shoulder to see the woman had knocked over a cup and was cleaning up the mess it had created. She bent over to pick the cup up off the floor, the tightness of her clothing, showing her toned thighs and curved bottom.  
“_Naneth_, are you okay?” Legolas asked, slipping from Thranduil’s grip and rushing over.

"I'm fine, sweetie, do you want some breakfast?" she asked. Thranduil quickly averted his gaze before she saw him. "Yeah! Can we have pancakes, please?" Legolas bounced on his feet at the idea. "Course we can," she replied, "You go get some eggs?" "Yes, _Naneth_,” Legolas said. He hurried to the back door and grabbed a coat, slipping it on before disappearing outside. The woman immediately set about gathering ingredients for their meal, occasionally glancing over at him.

"You got a name?" she asked finally after several minutes of silence, broken only by the sound of chickens being disturbed by Legolas.  
“I am Thranduil Oropherion, King of the Woodland Realm,” he replied.  
“That’s a mouthful,” she muttered.   
“Your Majesty will suffice," he replied haughtily.

"Yeah, I'm not going to do that...Thranduil," she said as the back door opened, and Legolas rushing came in.

"I got six, _Naneth_," he declared, "Look!" He reached into his pockets and produced six brown eggs, one by one, he proudly handed them over. "Well done, little man," she said, taking them and setting back to work.

The kitchen was soon filled with a sizzling sound and the smell of food. Legolas had produced a small stool and now stood at the _firieth_'s side, watching her work, so Thranduil took the opportunity to look more thoroughly around the room.

A dresser stood close by, covered in small ornaments, many of which he suspected were older than the woman herself. A few portraits, incredibly detailed and lifelike, were also there, housed in metal frames. One showed the woman with a man, then she with Legolas, and then one of Legolas on his own, grinning inanely. A gilded silver frame contained one of an elderly couple.

"My grandparents," her voice caught him off guard, "This was their house before they passed away." He made a noise of acknowledgement and turned to face her. The woman already had her back turned and was manoeuvring around Legolas to plate up the food.

"Alright, time to eat," she said, "Legolas, go sit down." "But, I want to help!" "You need to get your…" "_Ada_,” Legolas supplied.  
“Right, you need to show your _Ada_ where to sit.”  
“Okay, _Naneth_," Legolas said. He bounded over to Thranduil and took hold of his hand.

"Come on, _Ada_,” he said, “You can sit next to me.” The smiling elfling led him over to the table and pulled out one of the chairs before climbing onto the one next to him. Once they were seated, the woman set a plate in front of each of them before fetching her own.

"What...is this?" Thranduil asked, looking doubtfully at the soft brown discs on his plate.

"Pancakes, _Ada_!” Legolas said excitedly, “_Naneth_ makes the best pancakes in the whole world!"

"Well, I don't know about that," the woman said as she sat down, "But they certainly make him happy. It's probably all the sugar. Legolas, do you want some syrup?"

"Hooray! Syrup!" Legolas clapped his hands as she lifted a small jug and poured some on to his food.

"Do you want some?" she asked Thranduil, though she kept her eyes slightly averted.

"No," Thranduil said.

"_Ada_! You forget your manners, you must say thank you to _Naneth_ too!" Legolas admonished him, wagging a small finger at him.

Thranduil noticed the woman shiver slightly as he returned his gaze to her. "Thank you," he forced out, though what he had to thank her for, he did not know.

Thranduil was just about to pick up the cutlery set before him when he noticed the woman and Legolas leaning towards each other, moving the berries about on each other's food. Legolas giggled as they worked.

"Ta-da!" Legolas shouted, "Look, _Ada_, _Naneth _made me a happy face." He turned his plate towards Thranduil and showed off the berries arranged to make a crude version of a smiling face. "I'm sure _Naneth_ will put a happy face on yours, too," he said brightly.

"It is fine, _Ion nin_; I do not need my food to smile for me," Thranduil said firmly.

"Okay, I do this instead,” Legolas said, leaning over and beginning to move the berries about. Thranduil sighed and watched as Legolas quickly moved the food about before sitting back and declaring it done.

Thranduil scowled to see a frowning face looking back at him. His gaze shot to the woman who was hunched over her food, her shoulders shaking slightly as she fought laughter. Turning to his son, Legolas' face was surprisingly neutral as he lifted a blueberry to his mouth and ate it without even blinking.

"Eat up, _Ada_,” Legolas said. The woman broke into hysterics on the other side of the table, prompting Legolas to giggle as well. She leaned back in her chair, covering her mouth as her whole body shook with laughter. Thranduil did not take his eyes from her as she recovered herself. She lifted her cup and looked away, small chuckles still escaping her.

"I suppose I have you to thank for his disrespect," he said firmly. Instantly the relaxed atmosphere vanished, and the woman's body tensed.

"I did not raise him to play with his food, and certainly not someone else's either," he continued, "I will have to correct these ill manners over the next year."

"He's just a kid," she said, lowering her cup, "He needs to have a little fun."

"He is a Prince, and my heir," Thranduil replied gravely, "He needs to learn what it is to rule and to lead." They both turned to look at Legolas, who was knelt on his chair, bouncing slightly as he ate his breakfast.

"You appear to have undone much of my work already," he growled. They ate in silence, but he knew the _firieth_'s eyes kept falling on him.

As they finished, she opened her mouth to say something when the sound of the front door opening stopped her.

“Hello?” a voice called. Thranduil got to his feet. That was a male voice. Legolas gasped and practically leaped from his chair, scampering off towards the hallway.

"Hey, short stack!" the voice said. Thranduil marched off after Legolas to find the man from the portrait stood in the hall, Legolas in his arms.

"Whoa!" he said, looking at Thranduil, "Look, Anna, I know I said a change in appearance might make you feel better, but this is _not_ what I had in mind."

"Oh, ha, ha, ha," the woman spoke from behind Thranduil as she began to gather up the plates.

"So where did you find Fabio?" the man laughed and brushed past Thranduil into the kitchen.

"I didn't, he found me," she replied, "Ian, meet Thranduil, Legolas' father. Thranduil, this is my brother, Ian."

Thranduil looked at the man. He was a few inches shorter than Thranduil, and not as well built. Knowing this was her brother and not some unrelated male put him oddly at ease. Ian smiled, but he faltered when the smile wasn't returned.

"You are...this woman’s brother," Thranduil said, folding his arms over his chest and drawing himself up to his full height.  
“Her whole life,” Ian replied, before turning to her, "Does he not know your name?" "Oh, that's been a one-way street all morning," Anna replied.

The two began to converse quickly, the subject not being of any interest to Thranduil. Only her name. Anna. It meant 'gift' in the language of the elves.

He observed as the two delved briefly into a squabble as siblings were wont to do before Legolas began to demand attention from his 'uncle.' Ian lowered him to the floor and pulled something out of his inside jacket pocket.

"No!" Anna said, seizing it before it fell into Legolas' outstretched hands, "No candy until after dinner." She made a noise of frustration and opened a high cabinet. Stretching up, she stowed the item out of reach of his elfling.

He could not help but note the curve of her bottom and lower back as the shirt she wore rode up.

"Honestly, Ian, every time," she said, closing the doors, "Now, I need to go feed the pigs. Did you bring the stuff?"

"Yes, I brought the stuff," Ian answered, attempting to mimic her feminine voice.

Ignoring him, she continued, "Good, can you please sort him out whilst I take care of it? Legolas and I are already late with his lessons."

Anna gestured towards Thranduil and scooped Legolas into her arms. Ian nodded. Shaking her head, she made her way towards the door. Taking a coat off the hook, she disappeared outside.

Thranduil looked towards Ian, who was looking him up and down.

"Come on, Thran, I've got some clothes for you that will help you fit in,"

"Thran?!"


	4. Judge

Thranduil cast a glance at the bundle of fabric in Ian’s hand. This is what counted as fashion in this world? If so, it left a great deal to be desired.

"I'm guessing they don't have jeans wherever you're from," Ian joked, "Just put them on. If Anna's not judged your size right, I'll have to find you something else, and I'd rather not spend all day driving back and forth to town."

Thranduil sighed and took the offered clothing. Setting them down on the table, he began removing his armor. Ian moved off a few paces and watched as Thranduil set each piece down.

"How long does it take you to put all that stuff on?" the man asked.  
“Not long at all, provided I have the appropriate staff,” Thranduil answered, “No less than six well-trained _ellyn_ to ensure it is fitted properly.”  
  


"You have six people to help dress you?!" Ian spluttered, "Oh, buddy, you're in for some serious culture shock."  
“Do you mean to tell me that you are not here to assist me?”  
“Aw hell no!” Ian crowed, “I’m here to make sure you don’t get anything valuable caught in your pants zipper. Teaching Legolas how to put on our clothes was a task and a half, I'm hoping you'll be easier."

Thranduil scoffed and began to shed his tunic. Ian raised an eyebrow and looked away. "Your sister was very kind to take my son in," Thranduil said as he folded the tunic. "Yeah, well, Anna's always had a soft spot for kids," Ian muttered, "She used to be a teacher, first grade, and she was good at it."

"She is not one anymore?” Thranduil found himself asking, removing his boots. "No, she isn’t,” Ian replied, “She couldn’t, not after...look...” He turned around just as Thranduil was removing his trousers.

"Aw, geez, buddy, you could have warned me," Ian said, slapping a hand over his eyes and spinning back around. Thranduil rolled his eyes. He never understood the way Men viewed nudity.

"You both seem to have taken the news that there are other worlds rather well," Thranduil spoke as he began to examine the pile of clothing he had been given.

"I can't have a conversation with you like this," Ian said, still with his back turned, “Look, the black things on the top are boxers, they’re underwear, please put them on so I don’t have to look at...it.”

"I assure you, 'it' is no different to your own," Thranduil said, resisting the urge to laugh as he pulled on the boxers. "Yeah, well, I beg to differ," Ian said, "Besides, looking at other guy's junk is not my personal idea of a good time." "You may be at ease, 'it' is hidden from view," Thranduil said, chuckling. Ian turned back around gingerly and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you have no sense of modesty?" he asked, walking back over.  
“Evidently not by your standards,” Thranduil replied, “I had this same issue just a millennia ago.”   
"A millennia?"  
“A thousand years.”  
“Yeah, I got that,” Ian said, unfolding some of the clothing, “It’s just weird to hear someone talk about something that happened that long ago like it was just last week. How old are you?” Thranduil paused for a moment.

"Five thousand, four hundred and sixty-three," he answered.  
“Holy fuck, I thought you were at least eight thousand," Ian deadpanned, "And Legolas? We've never managed to get a straight answer out of him."  
“He is twenty,” Thranduil said, taking the clothing Ian offered.

"So, how long do your people stay kids for?" "Childhood lasts a century,” Thranduil stated as he shook out the pants, “Do the Elves of your world wear these?”  
“Elves? Oh, we haven’t got Elves here,” Ian said, “And they’re called jeans.”  
"No, Elves? Then you have also taken our appearance here rather well,” Thranduil mused as he bent slightly to put them on.

"Well, at first, we thought the pointed ears were just a birth defect," Ian explained. Thranduil's head shot up at the word defect.  
"But then he started hearing things from really far away. He could see who was at the end of the driveway from the living room window," Ian continued. "And the first time we saw him climb a tree, we figured the little guy wasn't quite human, so we kept quiet about him and put a hat on him if we had to go anywhere. Anna had gotten attached and couldn’t bear to lose the little guy, especially when he started opening up to her.” Thranduil paused.

Legolas had not been himself after his mother passed. He had become withdrawn and solemn in his grief. Not at all like the happy, smiling elfling he had been before, or now.

Just then, Thranduil heard his son begin chattering excitedly to Anna, laughing, even singing. Like an elfling should. He sighed and turned his attention back to his clothes.

"That's a zipper, just give that tab a gentle pull, and it'll close up," Ian explained, pointing at the odd fastenings on the jeans. "Be careful if you ever go without underwear, nothing more painful than getting your personal glory caught in it."

"Thank you," Thranduil mumbled before taking the next item. It was black and stretched quite well. It was clearly a shirt, so he pulled it on. Then there was a shirt with a similar pattern to the one Anna wore but in red. Thranduil pulled it on and flicked his hair out from under it.

"There you go," Ian said, "Keep those ears covered, and you'll pass for a regular old supermodel. I'll have to come back with some boots tomorrow. I'd say you're a size twelve." Thranduil wanted to roll his eyes again at the man's sarcastic sense of humor but could not bring himself to do it. He instead offered a smirk and a chuckle.

"What is a supermodel?" he asked. Ian opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the door opening and Legolas bounding in.  
“Wow, _Ada_, you look like me!” Legolas said, leaping into his arms. Thranduil happily lifted his son up.  
"I suppose I do," he said, pressing a kiss to the boy's temple.   
  


Anna walked in, pausing for a moment as she looked Thranduil up and down.  
“And you say I can’t pull together an outfit,” Ian quipped as he walked towards her. Anna just looked at Thranduil for a moment before blinking and looking at her brother.

"You can't," she said, "Anyone with half a brain can pair jeans with a plaid shirt." She gestured to her own outfit and then Legolas'.  
“Hey, it’s practical and comfortable,” Ian protested.

"I would disagree on the comfort," Thranduil said, shifting slightly.  
"They need a little wear first, but you'll get used to them," Anna said, "Legolas, go get your art supplies, and I'll start the dishes."

"Okay, _naneth_,” he said, wriggling out of Thranduil’s arms, “Can _Ada_ paint with me?”  
“If he wants to, yes,” Anna said, “Uncle Ian can dry and put away.”  
"But, I didn't even get breakfast!" Ian whined.

"Shut up and grab a dish towel," Anna said, turning towards the sink.

Ian made an exasperated sound as Legolas came bounding back into the room with a box in his hands. He stowed it on the table before climbing up onto the chair.

"Come on, _Ada_," he said, "We're going to paint!" He opened the box and began taking out various pieces, including paper, brushes, small pots splattered with different color paints. He pulled out a bottle with a garish shade of yellow paint inside it.

"Ah, ah, ah, young man, not after last time," Anna said, rushing over and taking the bottle off him, "I don't want you wearing it again." She poured some of the paint into one of the pots and did the same with red, blue, black, and white before taking out an old stained plate and setting it next to Legolas.  
“Keep an eye on him, please,” she said to Thranduil, “I don’t want him getting too messy.” Thranduil cast her a disdainful look. As if he did not know to watch his own child!

"Okay, whatever," she mumbled under her breath as she turned back towards the sink, narrowly avoiding a whip of a dish towel from her brother.  
“Ian, I swear to god,” she growled as he laughed. Thranduil rolled his eyes and turned to watch Legolas, who was mixing paints on the old plate to get the shade he wanted.   
  


Seeing this sort of interaction made him glad to be an only child, just as his son was. No distractions, it was easier to maintain a focus on the work at hand.

His thoughts turned to his wife, Imloth. He had hoped for a brief time that the two of them would make another child together, but she had given so much of herself to create Legolas, it seemed unlikely, lest she suffer the same fate as Miriel of old.

She had been severely weakened by Legolas' creation and birth, and she had never recovered from it. It became painfully apparent as the years passed that in her mind, she now dwelt away over the sea, and he had reluctantly let her go. She had devastated him before she left, and now Legolas was all he had left of her.

"_Ada_, come sit!" Legolas said as he mixed the paints to create a brown color. Reluctantly, Thranduil lowered himself into the seat next to Legolas as Anna flicked soap suds at Ian.  
“What are you painting, _ion nin_?” he asked.

"My family," Legolas said, "Look, there's me, and Uncle Ian, and that's you and _Naneth_. Look, you’re holding hands.” Thranduil noted that Anna’s shoulders went rigid for a second at Legolas’ words before she resumed her task.

"You are mistaken, _ion nin_," Thranduil said as gently as he could at that moment, "I have no intention of holding a _firieth_’s hand." His eyes flashed towards Anna, but she remained focussed on the last remaining dishes before her. His gaze narrowed.

What stories had she been filling Legolas’ head with? She seemed to know he was watching her. Her movements were stiff and precise. Ian caught his eye, a scowl on his face. He leaned in towards Anna.

"Watch him," Ian whispered, "We both know that look." Anna nodded tensely next to him. She handed him the last plate and then emptied the sink. Drying her hands, she turned around with a bright, albeit fake smile on her face.

"Well, Legolas, shall we see what you painted today?" she said lightly, walking over and studiously ignoring Thranduil, "Oh very good! We'll let it dry, and then we'll put it on the wall with the others. Go wash up, it's almost time for reading."

"Okay, _naneth_,” Legolas said, wriggling out of his seat. "Come on, short stack," Ian said, "Let’s try not to flood the bathroom again.”   
"I didn't do it a porpoise!” Legolas protested. "On purpose, buddy, on purpose," Ian corrected him as he led the small child away.

Anna began to tidy up, taking the brushes and pots to the sink to be cleaned. Thranduil scrutinized her as she worked, her eyes kept glancing towards him before looking away quickly. There was a tension in her shoulders and the way she kept her head lowered that made him ponder how a young woman came to be living on her own so near the woods. Other than her explanation that this had been her grandparents’ home.

*

Thranduil continued to observe them for the rest of the day as Anna gave Legolas' his lessons. First, there was reading, writing, basic addition, and subtraction, all of which Legolas did remarkably well. And play, there was plenty of play which Thranduil had to credit Anna for.

Watching Legolas solve problems as he played was quite refreshing. The boy's mind was quick and sharp, but still, he persisted with childish behavior. He wanted Thranduil to join them on the floor as they made small structures out of brightly colored pieces that Anna referred to as 'Legos.'

He was also given an abrupt introduction to technology when a small thing on a table began making a shrieking sound. Anna had called it 'the phone' and Thranduil only tolerated it the slightest degree more than the television.

The large black box had gone from blank to a full, garish picture of figures in brightly colored outfits pretending to fight each other. Anna left the room to prepare lunch, and Legolas excitedly jumped to his feet, declaring it 'morphin' time. He watched in amusement as the elfling punched and kicked the air around him with exaggerated noises.   
  


Lunch was slightly more tolerable than breakfast had been, and that was in large part because Legolas did not create a frowning face with the food again.

Thranduil found himself missing the cooks of his Halls suddenly, and he added cooking skills to the list of lessons he would teach Anna over the next year.

Her clothing once again proved inadequate when she had leaned over Legolas, flaunting her cleavage. A scandalous display! He was now certain she intended to worm her way into his affections via his son. He would not fall for such trickery that much was certain.

The afternoon had been passed outside, cleaning out the pigs pen, the chicken coop, and weeding the vegetable patch. Thranduil had tried to hide his disdain for seeing his son and heir pulling weeds from the ground. The work was surely beneath him.

Anna's gaze fell on him more and more, but she no longer averted her eyes. Instead, a frown settled on her passable features to which he merely folded his arms and raised an eyebrow as he continued to observe.  
  


He experienced true horror when Anna left the room to prepare dinner. Ian told Legolas they were going to play 'video games.' The damnable television was employed again, and this time it displayed an ‘animated,' was the term Ian used, dragon! Thranduil felt his insides wither at the mere thought. A benevolent dragon! What madness existed in this world where one of the spawn of Morgoth, this “Spyro” was considered entertainment for children.

He almost sighed with blessed relief when Anna called them through for dinner. Until he saw the plates, she had set out for them. A hearty meal of chicken, potatoes, peas...and carrots. He could not abide the damned vegetable, and his cooks knew never to serve them to him.

He highly doubted Anna would remove them from his plate, so he took his seat, grimacing in annoyance when her knees bumped his. The table was entirely too small for his large frame, but she seemed to either not care or notice as she began cutting up Legolas’ food for him.

"Okay, sweetie, remember, it's hot, let it cool a little first," she said, handing the child his cutlery back. "And if you eat all your vegetables, you can have the candy, Uncle Ian brought you.”  
“Yes, _Naneth_,” Legolas said, grinning down at his plate.

"So, Ian," Anna's eyes slid straight past Thranduil to her brother, "You're here awfully late."  
"Oh, you know me, never miss a chance to taste your cooking, sis," Ian said as he speared some chicken with his fork.  
“Uh-huh,” Anna did not sound convinced.

"Well, that and I managed to find myself a crazy one last night...ow!" A stomp was heard under the table, and Ian leaned away from Anna.  
“I’ve warned you before,” she hissed, “Not in front of Legolas!”

"A crazy one?" Thranduil enquired, pushing the carrots away from the rest of his food with his fork.  
“Always the same, find a beautiful woman in the bar, take her home, get….” Ian had a salacious grin on his face for a moment before he saw Legolas watching him, “Jenga out. We played Jenga, all night, and again this morning.” Anna scowled at her brother as Legolas shrugged and went back to his food.

"Long story short, she won't leave my house," Ian quickly finished. Thranduil began to wonder if he and Legolas could survive in the woods for a year. He most certainly could, but he doubted Legolas would cope with the abrupt change.

"Perhaps you should be more discerning about whom you bring home and with whom 'Jenga'" Thranduil observed drily.  
“I’ve been telling him that for years,” Anna said, “I might as well have told his front door.” Thranduil fought the urge to chuckle at the image.

"_Ada_, why aren’t you eating your carrots?” Legolas asked suddenly, “_Naneth_ says we have to eat our veggies to grow up big and strong.”  
“I am already big and strong,” Thranduil said, “I do not need to eat my vegetables if I do not wish to.”

"But Uncle Ian does, and _Naneth_,” Legolas pointed out. Thranduil sighed and stabbed one disc of the orange vegetable with his fork, held it up for Legolas to see before popping it into his mouth. It tasted vile to him, but Legolas smiled brightly and went back to his meal. Thranduil glanced up in time to see Anna mouth the words 'thank you' to him.  
  


After dinner, Anna took Legolas upstairs to bathe and change for bed, leaving Ian to do the dishes. Thranduil remained in the kitchen and talked with Ian. He was surprised to learn that Ian lived many miles away.

"If you live so far, who defends your sister's honor?" Thranduil asked in surprise. "The who and the what now?" Ian replied, "Honour? Oh, buddy, the world's moved on since them days. Not many people place stock in things like honor.

We just want people to be good to one another, that's all. And even that some people find difficult."  
“Then the sooner I get my son away from this place, the better," Thranduil said.

"Yeah, you might not want to mention that too much in front of my sister," Ian said, his voice suddenly harsh. "She was in tears when she called me today. Legolas is her whole world, and you're threatening to take that from her. See, my sister’s a nice person, and there’s not too many of those about these days, so when people upset her, I tend to get defensive.”  
"You defend her honor."  
“I guess I do after all,” Ian mused.

*

The day’s events ran through Thranduil's head that night. Legolas had been in bed for several hours though Ian had not left until just an hour before. As soon as he was gone, Anna had sloped off upstairs to sleep, telling Thranduil that the second door on the right was the guest room, and he was welcome to use it during his stay. He had nodded in acknowledgment of her words but had not spoken. He did not require rest.

Once he was certain Anna was asleep, he had silently climbed the stairs. The first door he came to was clearly Anna's room, she was sound asleep, facing the open door, cocooned in her blankets. Directly opposite her room was Legolas'. The door was ajar just enough to see Legolas' sleeping face, so Thranduil slipped inside.

He would watch over his elfling this night. The room was filled with toys and books, and more of the small portraits of Legolas with Anna on one wall. Thranduil sighed.

Legolas' nursery at home was nothing like this. He had the barest minimum of toys but hundreds of books. Thranduil could almost feel the love that Anna bore for his son in this room. Perhaps he had judged her too harshly before? It had been a confusing day.

To learn that his son had thought himself lost and forgotten for two years. To find Legolas calling a mortal woman _Naneth_...   
  


Thranduil slowly retreated to a dark corner to stand watch over the sleeping boy and keep him safe. He had been stood for perhaps an hour or more when he had heard Anna stir and emerge from her blanket nest.

She had padded across the hall and slipped into the room. Thranduil noted, with distaste, that the revealing nightwear was back. Anna headed first to the window and checked that it was secure before turning her attention to Legolas.

She straightened his blankets, tucked his hair behind his ear, and leaned over to kiss his forehead.  
“Sleep tight, little guy,” she whispered, “_Naneth_ loves you."

Thranduil remained frozen in place as he watched her smiling sweetly at his son. Her devotion to his son was palpable. It wasn't just the room he could feel love for Legolas in; it was in the very beat of her heart.

He had judged her too harshly, he decided, and tomorrow, he would do better.  
  



	5. Ada and Naneth

Thranduil kept watch over Legolas throughout the night. Anna did not come in again, but he did not hear her door close. As much as he wanted to not trust the _firieth_, her devotion to Legolas was almost endearing. Everything she did, she did for him.

As dawn approached, he availed himself of the bathroom that Ian had shown him the day before. He still held the television and telephone in contempt, but the plumbing was a boon. Finishing up, Thranduil could hear Anna rising and going to wake Legolas up. He opened the bathroom door in time to see Anna descending the stairs, Legolas in her arms, his head resting on her shoulder. His sleepy mumbling muffled by her hair that his small fingers played with.

He waited a moment before following them down and found them in the kitchen. Legolas sat at the table, still half-asleep, a cup of water in his hands. Anna had her back turned to him, busying herself with some task. A familiar scent wafted to him from across the kitchen. Coffee. Finally, something he recognized!

He crossed the room quickly, causing the distracted human to jump when he appeared suddenly in her peripheral vision. "I was hoping you were a bad dream," she muttered. He lowered his brows in a scowl. Impertinent _firieth_.

  
“Trust in that I have no intention of forcing myself upon your hospitality any longer than is truly necessary, nor do I wish to be in your presence." He spoke without thinking, forgetting his promise to do better already, "However, I have not had coffee in some time."

"Wait, you guys have coffee too?" Anna said, surprise on her face."Yes," Thranduil replied, his irritation at her insult already fading. "When we can get it. It can often be months between the trading caravans, but I do have a fondness for it."

"Well, you're in luck," Anna smiled, "I never let my stores deplete. There will be coffee every morning.”  
“Then perhaps this year will become bearable,” Thranduil said, feeling his own smile reflect hers. He saw her take a deep breath and turn away.

  
“It’ll just be a minute,” she said, “Legolas, sweetie, are you okay?”  
“Yes, _naneth_,” the boy replied, a little more awake now. Anna turned away and walked over to him. Thranduil watched as she took the now-empty cup from Legolas and stroked his hair. She spoke quietly to him, asking him what he wanted for his breakfast.

It hurt deep in his chest as he watched Anna kneel next to the chair, and Legolas lean into her. His son held one of the _firieth_'s hands, playing with her fingers. Legolas had never been this close with his own mother, and now he seemed to be thriving in Anna's care. No, he told himself, he had done the best he could by Legolas after his mother had departed.

_A child who needs a mother_

Although he loathed admitting it, but he had to concede to Lady Galadriel's choice in caregiver, if not her tactics. An endless parade of nurses and teachers were all well and good, but Legolas’ needed a mother’s love. Two years with Anna had done him good.

"Can I have cereal and watch cartoons?" Legolas asked.  
“Okay, but only for half an hour,” Anna replied, “Then it’s chore time.” She rose to her feet as Legolas hopped off the chair and eagerly followed her around as she prepared his food. He took the bowl she gave him and scampered off. Thranduil cringed hearing the television blast to life in the next room.

Anna offered him a cup. "Would you like anything to eat?" she asked. He shook his head and took the steaming cup from her. "I am not hungry," he said."That's fine, neither am I," she replied, picking up her own cup and heading to sit at the table.

Thranduil sighed and followed her. He had promised to do better, for Legolas’ sake, and so he would. Anna raised an eyebrow when he sat opposite her.  
“I think it would be to Legolas’ benefit if we were to at least attempt some civility,” he said.  
“You’re right,” she said, nodding, “Children don’t cope well when there is discord in the house.”  
  


“Tell me something about yourself, Anna," he was careful to use her name rather than "_firieth_." "Well, there's not a lot to tell," she said, "I used to be a teacher, first grade, so five to six-year-olds but….life sort of drew me away from that. He watched her eyes lower at this admission but said nothing. "I needed a fresh start, and I got that chance when my grandparents passed away and left this house to Ian and I. I make enough of a living from breeding my pigs to survive.

What about you?”

He hesitated in his answering. How did one sum up many thousands of years of life into one conversation? He looked up and found her eyes fixed on him. Those strange, strange eyes. "Doriath," he said finally, "I was born in a place called Doriath, but after it fell, my father and I traveled south-east and found a new home. The Elves there chose to raise my father as their King, and when he fell in battle, I assumed the throne."  
“Your father died?”"Yes, his pride led him to his downfall," Thranduil said, "Some say I share the same fault." He watched Anna bite her lower lip.

  
“Your mother?” she asked.  
“She fell with Doriath,” Thranduil said solemnly. Anna shifted in her seat slightly, and he suspected she was gearing up for another question.  
“What...what about Legolas’ mother?” she asked. His heart sank.

"I mean, Legolas recognized you as his father almost immediately, and I'm a little worried that if she turns up, he’s going to be confused...”  
“You need not worry about her,” Thranduil assured her, “She is no longer with us.”  
“She died?” Anna queried. Thranduil found himself hesitating again.  
“No,” he admitted, “She….she left us.”  
“Left you?”  
“She forsook our marriage bond and our son,” Thranduil said, a sharp edge to his voice that he did not intend.

  
“She left Legolas?!” Anna said, a look of horror and disbelief on her face.  
“She did her duty as Queen and gave me an heir, so she asked to be allowed to follow her heart," Thranduil said, before raising his cup to drink. There followed a moment of silence while Anna processed his meaning.

"Oh, Thranduil, I….I am sorry," she said, reaching out and touching his free hand. Her fingers closed over his, and his eyes closed. How long had it been since he had felt a compassionate touch? Her skin was soft and warm against his, and he felt his fingers close over hers.

  
“Legolas does not know,” he said quietly, “Very few do. The rest of our world believes that she gave too much of herself to her son, and what remained was not enough to tolerate old, foul-tempered Thranduil."

"You let everyone believe she's either dead or you drove her away?" Anna asked, those blue-and-green eyes searching his face when he opened his own.  
“It is better this way,” he said. He truly believed it too. It hurt less than knowing he offered her his heart and soul, and that Imloth Andaeriel had turned away from him.

A childish giggle drew their attention. Legolas stood in the doorway, a grin on his face and an empty bowl in his hands.

"You're holding hands, just like my picture!" he shouted. Immediately Anna pulled her hand away. Thranduil let her go but could not resist stretching his fingers out to feel her skin against him for as long as possible. He had gone too long without feeling the touch of another in any manner besides duty. There had been those he had taken to his bed to perform a carnal service. But, once done, they left, and he was alone again. Cold and alone. Anna rose to her feet and took her empty cup to the sink.

  
“Now, Legolas, don’t be silly,” she said as the child bounded over to her, “It’s not like that.”  
“Why not?” Legolas asked, “I seen other _naneths _and _adas_ hold hands.” Anna sighed.  
“Your _Ada_ and I don’t know each other like that,” she tried to explain."Okay, I fix that," Legolas said, seizing her hand and pulled her along with him. Anna stumbled a little; even though Legolas was but a child, he was still remarkably strong.

  
“_Ada_, this is N_aneth_, she is very kind, and I love her,” Legolas said, placing Anna’s hand on Thranduil’s, “_Naneth_, this is _Ada_, he is very nice, and I love him. There! Now you know each other and can be friends." Anna's face flushed pink as Legolas stood there, beaming at them, clearly proud of his handiwork. Laughing, he ran back into the living room and sat himself in front of the television. The pair quickly jerked their hands apart.

"Sorry," Anna muttered, "He sees parents on TV or at the park, and...well, I think he's a little confused about what we actually are." Thranduil nodded, trying to keep his gaze focussed on her face and not the revealing garments she wore.

"I'm...I'm going to go get dressed," she said, almost as if she knew his thoughts, "Would you mind watching him? He almost put his foot through the television last week."

"Of course," Thranduil said, chuckling and nodding his head. Anna offered a small smile and turned to leave."Anna," he spoke without thinking, and she stopped, "Thank you. It feels...good to tell someone the truth about Imloth." She nodded, offering him another smile and quickly disappearing up the steps.

Thranduil let out a long sigh. Ten years and he had never told anyone what had passed between him and Imloth. And yet, to this strange _firieth_ he had confessed everything. She felt...safe, and he supposed that was why Legolas was flourishing in Anna's care.

*

Upstairs, Anna’s heart was pounding. She hadn’t meant to touch him. After all, he had turned up out of the blue and tried to take Legolas; he WOULD be taking Legolas in a years time. This man...this Elf was dangerous. He was a King and used to getting his own way. She should keep him at arm’s length but the flicker of heartbreak that had crossed his face when he spoke his wife, his ex-wife.

She hadn't been able to help herself and had wanted to comfort him. His skin had been warm, bordering on hot. The feel of his fingers closing around hers had felt so right. She shook her head and marched into her bedroom. No! She couldn't set herself up for more hurt. It was going to be torture enough when they left.

She looked over her shoulder at Legolas' bedroom. When she had found him two years before, it had felt like fate. The early days had been tough, he hadn't spoken a lot of English, turned his nose up at a lot of the food she offered. The tantrums had been of epic proportions, but then one night, he had climbed into her bed and called her _Naneth_ before drifting off to sleep.

Since then, he had been the most affectionate, loving little boy. She had always known in some dark corner of her mind, that one day he would have to go home, back to his family. Or what was left of it. Downstairs, she heard the front door open and shut.

"Hey Fabio, got some boots for you," Ian's voice drifted upstairs. Anna sighed and quickly changed. Ian's sense of humor was going to put him on the wrong side of the Elf with the swords one day.


	6. Lace

Anna fought to not laugh at the incredulous look Thranduil cast at the red plastic laundry basket she offered him.  
“I beg your pardon?” he said, his lip faintly curling in an almost snarl."No free rides here," she said lightly, "Even Legolas has chores. All you have to do is go upstairs and collect the dirty laundry. I already left it in piles by the bedroom doors. You bring it down, and I'll show you how the washer works."

Thranduil continued to stare at Anna as though waiting for her to realize the absurdity of her request. "This is unseemly," he protested, "A King does not wash the garments of a lowly _firieth_." Anna scowled. There was that word again. She didn't know what it meant, but by the way, disgust dripped from it every time he said it, she guessed it was meant as some kind of insult.

"You're not King here," she reminded him curtly, "And what kind of example does it set for your son if I let you just lounge around whilst he and I do all the actual work?"  
“Yeah, _Ada_," Legolas piped up from the kitchen behind them, where he was sat pairing socks at the table, "You have to do chores."

Thranduil half-snarled again before taking the basket and stomping off towards the stairs. Anna let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Something about him always put her on edge, it might have been his size or the way his eyes sometimes fixed on hers. Or maybe it was that little voice in her head continually reminding her that he was here to take Legolas away from her. A small part of her hoped to convince him to leave Legolas with her, but she knew that was a hopeless dream. He was King, Legolas, his heir, and only child.

She turned and headed back into the kitchen, where Legolas was holding up two black socks trying to work out if they were a pair or not.  
“How’s it going, sweetie?” she asked. “Okay,” he said, “_Naneth_, why didn’t _Ada_ live with us before? Did he not want us?"

Anna froze for a moment before sitting down opposite him and taking his small hands into her own."Of course, he wanted you," she said. She recalled the look of relief and pure joy in Thranduil's eyes when he realized that he had found his son. "He missed you so much, but….he was very, very far away. And it's taken him a long time to find you."

  
“What about you?” Legolas asked. Anna shook her head."We talked about this, remember, sweetie? Your _Ada_ doesn’t know me,” she said, “I found you.”  
“But….you are my _naneth_,” Legolas said, frowning in confusion.  
“Yes, I am, because you chose me,” she smiled, “And I will always love you.”  
“I love you too, _naneth_,” Legolas smiled back, “I don’t want any other one.” He looked back down at the socks he was pairing, missing Anna biting her lip and willing herself not to shed tears. How could that woman, this Imloth, turn her back on her own son?

The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs turned her thoughts back to Thranduil. He had shouldered the burden and the pain of Imloth's rejection so Legolas wouldn't have to. He clearly loved the boy and was willing to do whatever it took to keep him safe. She rose from her seat as he reappeared in the kitchen, laundry basket in hand, and a scowl on his face. This was going to be interesting.

*

"Alright," she sighed, "So, first we need to sort the laundry. We have towels and bedding." She grabbed the two towels from the top of the basket and dropped them onto a growing pile on the floor, ignoring Thranduil rolling his eyes.

"Then we have darks, lights, and brights,” she said, taking items from the basket and dropping them into different ones with the corresponding word printed on them. Thranduil watched her, finding the whole process rather tedious and wondering if his household staff had to go through this. An increase in pay might be in order.

“And what about this?” he asked, reaching into the basket and lifting a scrap of lace, “I suspect it has fallen from a garment.” Anna blushed and grabbed it away from him.

"A...anything like that is classed as delicate," she said quickly, "You can just leave it in the basket, and I'll deal with it." Thranduil raised one eyebrow noting the crimson flush that spread across her cheeks.

Anna studiously ignored him and launched into an explanation on how to load the laundry into the large metal contraption she called 'the washer.' It all seemed simple enough. Put the clothes into the drum, add the soap, and turn a dial to the correct setting. Almost immediately, the washer whirred into life.

"And now what?" he asked, annoyed by the noise already.  
“Well, it takes a couple hours,” she replied, “So now we can go do something else. The vegetable patch needs weeding, and the pigs need to be fed.”

She led him out of the laundry room and back into the kitchen."I finished," Legolas declared, putting down the last folded pair of socks.  
“Well done, little man,” Anna said, “Go put your boots on, the eggs need collecting.”  
“Okay, _naneth_," Legolas said, climbing off the chair and hurrying to the back door.

Anna helped him put his coat on and a woolen hat before attending to herself. She lifted a warm-looking jacket from the hook and offered it to Thranduil. "This should fit you," she said, "It's a little old, but it's been well cared for." Thranduil hesitated but caught sight of Legolas' hopeful face. He took the coat and put it on.

"C'mon, _Ada_,” Legolas said, “You can help me collect the eggs!” He tugged on Thranduil’s hand and led him out the open door, grabbing a little basket that sat by the step just outside.

Outside, the chickens were already roaming around, clucking and picking at the ground. Anna followed behind Legolas, who was excitedly pulling Thranduil behind him. She carried a bucket in each hand, skirting around the hens and heading for the pigpen.

A snuffling sound came from within the shelter as she approached, calling, "Martha! Bertha!" Thranduil watched as she leaned over the side and tipped first one, then the other bucket into a trough. Two enormous black-and-white pigs emerged, squealing with excitement when they realized breakfast was served. Anna looked over and caught his gaze, her cheeks flushing pink slightly.

"Legolas, stay away from Sam," she said, suddenly looking away towards the boy.  
“I will, _Naneth_,” Legolas called as he opened up the roost to search for eggs.  
“Sam?” Thranduil asked.

"The big red one," Anna explained, "She's extremely protective of her eggs." She carried the buckets to the back porch, and Thranduil turned his attention back to his son.

The boy moved quickly and methodically, collecting the eggs from various hiding places.

As he was collecting the last few, Thranduil spied a sizeable red chicken coming around the side of the coop. He opened his mouth to warn Legolas when the bird began to run full-pelt towards Legolas, screeching. Legolas' head turned, and he screamed, abandoning his basket and running. He dashed past Thranduil.  
“_Naneth_!" he cried as he approached Anna. She turned and scooped him up, shooing the outraged bird that stalked around her, like a wolf circling its prey.

"Shoo! Be gone with you, Sam, you crotchety old broad," she said, firmly nudging the loudly, complaining bird away with her booted foot. Legolas was shaking in her arms and crying.

"There, now, it's okay," she said when the chicken stalked off to re-join the others, “She’s gone now. Stupid bird. Once she stops laying, we’re having her for dinner.”  
“I don’t like Sam!” Legolas said, tears in his eyes.  
“I know,” Anna reassured him, “But she does lay the tastiest eggs.” Legolas was quiet for a moment before nodding and burying his face in her shoulder once more.

Thranduil watched Anna comfort his son, talking to him gently and calming him. He had never seen Imloth show this kind of tenderness towards Legolas, even as an infant. Once Legolas had been able to stand on his own, she had ceased all physical contact with the boy save for perhaps holding his hand during public appearances.

Imloth had never held Legolas when he cried from fear or some minor accident. She left such tasks to the nursery maids, or Thranduil himself soothed the child. She had treated him as a Prince rather than her son, and Thranduil had blindly ignored it, choosing to believe that this was how a Queen should treat her son. Perhaps if he had not ignored it, if he had talked to her, his heart would never have been broken by her.

Anna, this strange firieth, treated Legolas as if he were her own child, doting on him every second of the day. She held him when he cried and displayed true joy at his accomplishments. Even now, as she walked towards the vegetable patch, she held Legolas' hand firmly in her own, talking to him, making him laugh. He could not help but wonder. Why could he not have found someone like Anna before he met Imloth?

*

The morning passed quickly, the chores all swiftly done with three of them working together. Anna showed Thranduil how to work the dryer and how to interpret the small symbols inside the clothes that told him which ones could go through the dryer and which could not. He soon realized he had perhaps the simplest chores save for Legolas, Anna taking on the more difficult tasks such as mucking out the pigs and general housework.

There was never a dull moment, she would continuously flit between chores and Legolas' lessons. Today he was learning to write out different letters. Anna would print each one clearly at the top of the page and instruct him to copy it whilst she took care of various tasks.

Thranduil watched over the boy when she left the room. As the afternoon wore on into evening, Legolas proudly showed him how he had written his own name all by himself. Anna's reaction had been more extreme than Thranduil's. She had exclaimed how proud she was, praising him for being so clever and declared that the page would take a special place on the fridge. Legolas had beamed when she pressed a kiss to his cheek and laughed when she had scooped him up into her arms and threw him into the air. It was good to hear the boy laugh.

Ian arrived once again in time for dinner, bearing more clothes and another pair of boots for Thranduil. Remembering his manners, Thranduil offered his gratitude.

"Think nothing of it, pal," Ian assured him. Thranduil was not entirely certain what a ‘pal’ was but allowed it as the term was congenially extended.

"Hey, Anna, what's for eating?"

"Sam!" Legolas shouted.  
“Oh, I’m not eating the devil bird,” Ian said, following the sound into the kitchen, “I’ve still got a scar from where she bit me on the ass.”  
“Ian!”  
“Butt, she bit me on the butt,” Ian quickly corrected himself. He tossed the pair of boots by the back door and dropped the clothes onto the table. "Thanks," Anna said as she chopped up some potatoes, "Next time we're in town, I'll actually take him shopping. I don't think farm boy chic is quite his style."

Dinner passed in the same manner as the night before, only the subject that evening was Ian’s work. Thranduil was surprised to hear he worked in law, representing wealthy clients. He told them all that evening of someone, clearly not of sound mind, who had wanted to bring a claim against a local brewery.

"The fact is, if the guy had read the label, he would have seen that the beer was brewed here rather than Hawaii," Ian said, "He got laughed out the office."  
“Where did he even get the idea it was brewed in Hawaii?” Anna asked. Ian shrugged.  
“Some people don’t have brains when they’re born,” Legolas said with an exaggerated sigh.  
“Don’t have the brains they were born with, short stack,” Ian corrected him. Legolas shrugged and turned back to his meal.

"This is tasty, _naneth_,” Legolas said.  
“I agree,” Thranduil added absentmindedly. Silence descended.  
"Was...was that a compliment?" Anna asked a smile on her face, "Are you feeling well?"

"Take the compliment, or I shall not give you another," Thranduil said firmly, one brow raising at her joking tone."Yes...Your Majesty," Anna replied, smiling sweetly. An unsettled feeling fell on him as her eyes sparkled. They were so very like Imloth's, and yet they were not.

Dinner passed in relative peace aside from Ian trying to dispose of his vegetables onto Legolas’ plate, causing the boy to cry out in protest.  
“No more peas!” Legolas squealed."Enough!" Anna cut him off, "Ian, stop winding him up, or he'll never go to sleep."  
“Not my fault he’s not eating his peas,” Ian said. Legolas almost screamed as the man dumped another forkful onto his plate.

"Ian!" Thranduil snapped. Silence fell once more, and the man seemed to shrink back in his chair.

"Sorry, Legolas," he mumbled quietly as Thranduil's cold blue eyes fixed on him. Ian quickly rose from his feet and began clearing the plates.

Anna sighed and shook her head.   
“Is he always like this?” Thranduil asked.  
“For as long as I can remember,” she answered him, “But he’s my brother, and as annoying as he is, he looks out for me.”"Thanks, sis," Ian said, leaning in and kissing her cheek as he picked up her plate."Urgh, away with you," she laughed, swatting at him.

"C'mon Legolas, half an hour of TV before bath and bedtime. Leave the dishes, Ian, I'll do them when the little guy is in bed." Ian cheerfully dumped the plates in the sink and scooped up Legolas, heading into the living room.

Thranduil rose and pushed the chairs back under the table.  
“Would...” Anna started before shaking her head and looking away.  
“What is it?” he asked.  
“Would you help me sort and fold the laundry?” Anna asked, “I can get it put away before Legolas’ bath time that way.”

"Of course," he said. Anna smiled at him and retrieved the basket from the laundry room. He followed her into the living room, studiously looking at the back of her head and not the way her hips moved as she walked. Something about her called out to him, and he was battling to keep it under control.

In the living room, Ian was sat on one of the chairs, Legolas on his lap, both of them staring at the television."And what pray tell are you watching?" Thranduil asked, looking at the screen, "It looks like some kind of battle on ice, only more violent."  
“It’s hockey,” Anna said, setting the basket down on the floor by the fire, “And you’re not far off with the battle comparison. Ian...”

"Annie, relax, Legolas, and I already talked about this." Ian said, without looking away from the screen.

"These men are professionals, they know what they are doing, and Legolas is not to try and put a hockey stick or a puck through Bubba's teeth."

"Yeah, Bubba's teeth already fell out," Legolas said. Anna rolled her eyes and knelt on the floor beside the basket. Thranduil shook his head and sat on the couch beside her.

He found the activity oddly relaxing, taking each item, folding it, and placing it in the corresponding pile. The phone rang and Anna got up to answer it. They were almost at the bottom of the basket when Thranduil spotted the same scrap of lace from earlier.

"Ian, I was wondering what this was?" he asked, holding it up. Ian glanced over before going bright red.  
“Oh, geez, dude!” the man exclaimed, “I didn’t wanna see those!”  
“Oh my god, what are you doing?!” Anna cried from the living room door, “Put them down.” Thranduil couldn’t help chuckle at their embarrassment at this seemingly meaningless bit of white lace. He rose to his feet.

"Not until you tell me what it is," he said, "I am now doubly curious as to what function this serves." Anna rushed over and tried to snatch the lace from his hand, making him chuckle. It was fun to tease her, his height putting the scrap far from her reach.

"Thranduil, I'm serious, give them back!" Anna grumbled. Thranduil laughed openly as he moved out of her reach once more.  
“_Ada_, why are you playin with _naneth_’s underwares?" Legolas' voice cut through him like a knife, and he froze."Her...what?" he spluttered. Anna's undergarments?! Surely not.

Anna took advantage of his distraction and stepped onto the sofa behind him. She easily reached his hand and snatched the garment away from him, though not without the edge of her breast, brushing his cheek.

"Surely not!" he exclaimed, "Surely that scrap of lace..." Anna did not wait for him to finish. Her face burned red, and she stormed from the room. Thranduil remained rooted to the spot, watching her go. What kind of world was this where something so small could be counted as an appropriate undergarment?

He heard her loudly, moving dishes around in the kitchen. Realizing she had no intention of explaining herself to him, he followed, leaving Legolas and Ian to continue watching the hockey game.

She was stood at the sink, filling it with hot water. Thranduil could see the undergarments just poking out of her rear pocket. Her whole body was tense but also shaking as she moved. It was apparent that he had overstepped the mark, he realized as he approached her. He had gone beyond merely teasing and had embarrassed her.

"I crossed a line," he said, "I did not realize that clothing in this world could be so...small." She didn't answer only shrugged.  
“Perhaps...I could use some instruction on what is and is not appropriate here,” he continued, “To prevent further...”

"Thranduil, I'm really not comfortable discussing my underwear with you," she said, bowing her head slightly.

The tension was thick in the air, and he realized that he had once again misjudged her. She was not a loose woman who flaunted her skin and wore revealing clothes on purpose. Anna was quite ordinary for her world. To have her undergarments made into a game was beyond mortifying for her.

"Forgive me, my lady," he said quietly. Her shoulders sank. "It's fine, Thranduil," she sighed, "Just grab a dish towel and start drying." She peeked up at him, offering a small smile before pulling a plate from the soapy water and scrubbing it. He said nothing, but returned her smile and picked up the towel she gestured too. He waited patiently for her to pass him the plate and wondered what the next year might bring.


	7. I Got You

A certain level of peace seemed to come over the small house as the next few days passed. Thranduil found that so long as he contributed with the chores, Anna appeared to have very little interest in how else he spent his time. This granted him leave to search the nearby woods for another Fairy Ring. Sadly, however, there were none.

The large one that had been damaged by the wild pig was apparantly the only one to be found. He and Legolas were indeed stuck there for the time being.

After the first few days, Ian's visits eased off a little, Thranduil suspected they had only been so frequent to keep an eye on himself. He could understand the reasoning. He was a large, imposing male, and Ian naturally would be wary of his sudden arrival in Anna's home. His respect for the odd mortal man increased.

For the most part, Anna and Thranduil avoided spending prolonged time together. She remained focused on Legolas' schooling, maintaining the house and farm. At the same time, Thranduil avoided any more embarrassing incidents with her undergarments.

He did, however, note her aversion to loud noises. Legolas, in his childish excitement, often slammed the back door as he went outside to play. Anna would jump as the door hit the frame; on occasion, a small gasp or cry would escape her as well. Sudden harsh sounds and unexpected movements to close to her would cause her to bring her hand up reflexively as though to protect herself. Thranduil made an effort to move slowly when approaching her.

In the evening when they watched the television, she would often change the channel, seemingly at random. The change would be followed by a prolonged period of silence from her and often sitting very stiffly and staring at her feet. He could not make sense of her reactions nor piece together exactly what caused these episodes, but as they did not seem to affect Legolas, he left it alone.

He could feel an unmistakable attraction towards the woman beginning, but he could not allow himself to become involved. There was, for all Anna's tendency to be disagreeable, something about her that made him feel the need to protect her.

There had to be a distance between them. Anna seemed to feel the same way. She did not seek him out save to let him know that meals were ready, so it came as a great surprise when on the fifth day, she knocked on the door of the room she had given him.

He had just made use of the shower in the bathroom, a novel accomplishment of mortal kind that he highly approved of. He was dressing hen Anna knocked.

"Enter," he said, plucking a black t-shirt from the bed. The door opened, and Anna stepped as he was pulling the shirt over his head.

"Oh...sorry..." she muttered, "Um...I was thinking we could take a trip into town today. You need more clothes, and Legolas needs some new boots. Then maybe we could make a stop by the park, Legolas can play with some other kids then and not just the chickens."

"That sounds acceptable," Thranduil replied as he picked up his red plaid shirt, "I am...unused to wearing the same garments day after day."

"I know it hasn't been ideal," Anna admitted, "But I don't like going into town more than I have to. Thanks for being patient."

"As you so kindly pointed out, I am not King here," Thranduil retorted, "So I have lessened my expectations."

"Is that a rude way of saying 'you're welcome'?"

"Take it as you wish," he said, "It makes no difference to me." Anna's jaw clenched, and she scowled at him for a moment.

"Whatever," she spat, "Just meet me downstairs when you're ready. I'll get Legolas' coat on." She turned and left. Thranduil pursed his mouth. Finally, they were leaving this abominable dwelling, even if it was only a temporary respite. He found the house entirely too small for his liking, or rather too small for him.

He seemed to fill whichever room he occupied, certainly all the doorways. He had misjudged the height of the back door on more than one occasion and scraped his forehead on the frame. Another reason he spent time in the woods, it was easier to breathe out there.

Sitting on the bed, he pulled on the boots he had been given and laced them up. A mirror on the back of the door showed him a very un-kingly reflection. No longer dressed in fine clothes that were molded to his lithe form. The plaid shirt was inelegant and ill-fitting. He looked forward to returning it, although the jeans fit quite nicely now that he had worn them in.

He supposed he was dressed in a way to 'fit in' with this world. His clothes certainly seemed similar to those he saw on the television. If what Ian had said was true, and there were no Elves in this world...well, he had seen how humans treated those they saw as different. Perhaps the isolation here was a good thing, after all.

Heading downstairs, he found Legolas bundled up warmly by Anna, who looked up as he entered. She rose to stand from kneeling and lifted the same coat she had offered him before from the hook. Although he did not feel the cold, he trusted her instincts to keep his true nature hidden, although he did raise an eyebrow when she offered him a hat.

"For your ears," she said, "You're gonna draw a lot of attention just by...looking the way you do, the ears might set some people off." Reluctantly he took the hat. It was woolen and rather floppy, and he wasn't entirely sure how one went about wearing it.

"Here," Anna said after a moment. She took it back and rose up on her tiptoes to place it on his head, making sure it sat securely in place and covered his ears.

"There," she said as she lowered herself, "Beanie hats suit you. I'll add them to the list."

Thranduil quirked a brow, unsure how he felt about this world's fashion suiting him. Evidently satisfied with their appearances, Anna led them out a side door off the kitchen that Thranduil had not yet ventured through.

The room they stepped into was very cool, shelves along the outer edges acting as a pantry. Various tools hung on the walls, and in the center was a large metal contraption. Anna pulled on a handle on one side of the metal device, and a door opened. She lifted Legolas in before looking towards him.

"It's called a pickup truck," she said, "It's a mechanical horse and cart. You can sit on the other side." Turning back to Legolas, she lifted him onto a slightly raised seat and pulled a strap across the boy's body before climbing in herself. Thranduil moved to the other side and opened the door easily enough.

Inside was a long, upholstered seat. Thranduil barely fit inside, the top of his head brushing the roof. Anna leaned over Legolas and helped him pull another black strap across his body and securing it with a click to a small box at his side.

"What is this?" he asked, running one finger along the strap.

"Seat belt," Anna said, "If we hit anything or anything hits us, it'll keep you safe. Otherwise, you'll be sent flying through the windshield." She indicated the glass in front of them.

Thranduil did not doubt that such an incident would not prove life-threatening to himself, but for Anna and Legolas, it was a different story. He continued to inspect the strap but made no move to secure it. His attention was brought back to Anna, who spoke in a clipped tone, "It wasn't a suggestion, you have to strap in."

He was brought from his thoughts of an acerbic retort by a horrific noise. The whole truck started to shake, and he could smell something strange and noxious. Anna and Legolas seemed unaffected. Anna pressed pedals with her feet and moved a stick with her right hand. He quickly fastened the belt in place and prepared himself for whatever was to come next.

She pressed something above her head, and the wall before them began to rise, revealing daylight beyond it. Once it was completely risen, Anna pressed another pedal, and the truck moved forward. She stopped it briefly once they were outside to go and pull the wall down.

Legolas helpfully supplied to term 'garage door' for him. The boy had done that with ease over the last few days, naming things for him and explaining the use of various items around the house.

Anna got back into the truck, and it began to move again. They traveled down the long driveway and out onto a road.

"Music, _Naneth_," Legolas said after a few moments. Anna reached down, pressed a button, and a male voice surrounded them.  
  


_Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble_

_When you’re perfect in every way._

“I can't wait to look in the mirror," Legolas began singing along, "Cause I get better looking each day!" Thranduil cast a glance at Anna, who was rolling her eyes.

"To know me is to love me," Legolas continued, grinning as he sang, "I must be a he..." Anna abruptly reached over and pressed the button again.

"Hey!" Legolas cried.

"I'm having words with Ian when I next see him," Anna grumbled. Legolas looked at her in silence for a moment.

"Baby Beluga!" he cried.

"No!" Anna looked horrified, "Let's just try another station." She reached down again, and music began playing. Legolas looked disgusted but remained silent while they continued down the road.

As they traveled, Thranduil noticed more and more buildings beginning to appear. Then more vehicles like Anna's truck, others slightly different. People milled around, going about their daily business. Anna turned off the road and into a large area, filled with hundreds of other vehicles, eventually pulling into a space defined by painted white lines.

"Welcome to the mall," she said, "Legolas, you hold onto mine or your _Ada_’s hand whilst we’re here. You do not wander off!”  
“Yes, _Naneth_," Legolas said as she leaned over and removed his seatbelt. Thranduil followed suit and climbed out. Legolas held his arms out to him excitedly, and Thranduil gladly lifted the boy out.

"I love the mall, _Ada_," Legolas chatted away, "There's toy stores and book stores, and one of them has the biggest TV ever!" Anna's door slammed, and he heard the locks click. She walked around to meet them, and Legolas wiggled his way out of Thranduil's grip.

The boy grabbed Anna's hand and just two of Thranduil's fingers, and the three of them made their way towards the large building.

"So we'll get Legolas' boots first," Anna said, "Then we'll go find you some more clothes." Thranduil nodded. He recognized that he was entirely out of his element here, and would need to follow her lead.

She led the way to the doors, Thranduil was surprised to see them opening of their own volition as they approached. He glanced at Anna, who seemed unaffected and decided not to press her on how it worked. It was becoming apparent that many things in this world would be difficult for him to understand.

Once inside, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. There were people everywhere, hurrying back and forth, men, women, and children. He had not seen chaos like this since the War, and in such a strange world, it was more than a little jarring.

He felt Legolas' hand slip from his only to be replaced by a slightly larger one. Looking to his side, he found Anna had switched places with Legolas.

"Hey, it's okay," she said in a reassuring voice, "It can get a little crazy here sometimes, but you'll be fine." A sense of calm washed over him, whether it was her voice or the way her thumb brushed over the back of his hand, he did not know. She smiled briefly before looking forward and leading them on through the crowds.

*

Anna couldn't help but notice the small smile of pride from Thranduil as the store assistants cooed over Legolas.

"Isn't he just the sweetest!" One of them said as she rang up the boots. Legolas grinned up at her. "And you're such a good boy!"

"Looks just like his Daddy too," said another, nodding towards Thranduil, who stood to one side, observing.

"There you go, sweetie," said the first, leaning down to give Legolas the bag, "Now, you be a good boy for your mommy and daddy."

"I will," Legolas said, taking Anna's hand, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, cutie!"

They rejoined Thranduil, who scooped Legolas up into his arms and stuck close to Anna's side as they left. Outside it was even busier than it had been when they arrived, and Anna saw Thranduil tense up once more.

She didn't know what it was like in his world, but she guessed the sheer number of people was a shock to him. She reached up and put her hand on his elbow as reassurance.

"_Naneth_, I'm hungry," Legolas said. Glancing down at her watch, Anna checked the time.

"Well, it is coming up to lunchtime," she said, "Let's eat before it gets too busy. C'mon, this way." She led the way to the escalators and saw Thranduil's eyes widen a little as he watched the moving staircases. 'Not seen these before either have you, big guy?' she thought to herself.

Leaning closer to him, she whispered, "It's alright, I'll count you on." "Three, two, one, go." As one they stepped forward, Thranduil able to keep his balance despite carrying Legolas' weight.

"How did you give payment for the shoes?" he asked, steadfastly not looking down. "Credit card," she said, "I...I don't know how to explain it, but basically, Ian has paid for them."

"He supports you?"

"With expensive purchases like this, yes," she said, "I get alright money from the pigs, but Legolas wears through his boots pretty quickly, and it all adds up." Thranduil nodded.

She counted them off at the top as well. "I shall see about compensating you for the expense," Thranduil said as they walked towards the food court. Anna paused. "Don't worry about it, looking after him has been its own reward."

Before Thranduil could comment further, Legolas giggled and wrapped his arms around his father's neck.

"I want chicken nuggets," he said, "Please! And ice cream, and..."

"Just because we're out doesn't mean you can just eat junk food," Anna said firmly.

"But, I ate all my veggies!"

"That was last night."

"But..."

"I think you should listen to Anna, _ion nin_,” Thranduil interjected.  
“You want to be big and strong like your _Ada_, you need to eat healthily," Anna added.  
"Okay," Legolas said. Anna cast a smile up at Thranduil. For the first time, they were on the same page with Legolas, and it felt good.  
  


The food court was still relatively empty, they were there before the lunchtime rush. Anna found them a table close to a small play area, which Legolas happily bounded off to under Thranduil's watchful eye whilst she went to get food.

Anna wasn't sure what Thranduil would like; this was hardly the food she cooked at home, so she played it safe and got two lots of the pasta which she knew Legolas liked, and two big slices of pizza for him to try. Returning to the table, she spotted a few women she knew from one of the parks. They gave her a cheery wave before looking very curiously at Thranduil as she sat down.

"We could be in for some awkward questions," Anna said quietly while organizing napkins and plastic cutlery.

"How so?" he asked.

"See those two women a few tables behind me?"

"Yes."

"I know them. Legolas has played with their kids before," she explained. "Obviously, in the beginning, they asked about his father…. I said you weren't in the picture anymore."

"Ah," Thranduil replied, "So they believe you and I, as it were, are estranged?"

"Yeah," Anna said, still busying herself with the food, "So, if they start asking questions..."

"I shall defer to you," Thranduil said, "I would not want to raise suspicions as to mine and Legolas' true nature."

"Thank you," Anna said, relived.

"Legolas, come!" Thranduil turned towards where the boy was playing. Legolas scrambled over the small wall and ran to the table.

"_Naneth! Naneth_!" he cried, "Sophie and Tommy are here!"  
"I know, I just saw their moms," Anna said, lifting him onto the chair, "You can go back and play after you've eaten."  
"Okay," he said, "Oh, my favorite!" "Be careful, it's still hot," Anna warned. He beamed when he saw the pasta Anna put before him.  
  


Legolas ate with gusto. Anna ended up splitting the extra pasta between herself and Thranduil as he took a liking to both. Once finished, she cleared their table, and Legolas bounded off to play again. Anna bought two coffees, handing one silently to Thranduil as she sat back down.

"I'm guessing he doesn't have any siblings," she said after a few moments of quiet.

"No, he does not," Thranduil answered.

"What about you?"

"No siblings either," he said, "Though I do recall once begging my mother for a brother." He looked over at her and was momentarily distracted by the site of her pursed lips gently blowing on the hot liquid.

"What of you? Besides, Ian?"

"No, just the two of us," she replied, watching as a strange look settled over his face, "I don't know if I could handle more than him...what is it?"

"Nothing," he murmured, "Your eyes…"

"It's called central heterochromia," Anna offered.

"They remind me of the mouth of the River Sirion," Thranduil said, his gaze fixed on them, "Where the river met the sea."

Anna abruptly leaned back slightly. "Forgive me, that was too familiar," he looked away. "Kinda, I've been told something like that before," she said, looking back at her coffee. "Anna!"

The pair of them looked up to find the women she had pointed out earlier standing next to the table, along with another woman.

"Mary, Mallory, Beth," Anna said in greeting. Thranduil nodded politely, then downed his coffee in a single gulp.

"Excuse me," he said, rising from his seat and striding over to where Legolas was playing. The three women watched before sitting down around the table.

"So..." said Mary, a woman about Anna's age with long dark hair, "Who's the hunk?"

"Yeah," added Mallory, who was slightly older with red hair, "He's….gorgeous."

"That's...Legolas' dad," Anna said quietly.

"I thought you two weren't involved anymore?" Mary asked.

"It...It's complicated," Anna said with a shake of her head, "Normally I wouldn't. Still, Legolas needs his dad, and, despite my initial thoughts, Thranduil's really good with him."

"Thranduil?" Beth queried, tossing her blond curls over her shoulder, "Another Welsh name?" Anna nodded. When people had questioned Legolas' name in the past, she'd blurted out that it was Welsh, and it had never been brought up since.

"Does he have the..." Mallory indicated her ears. "Yeah, seems to be a family thing," Anna breathed.

"I'm surprised you ever let him go," Beth said, watching as Thranduil lifted Legolas up and tossed him in the air. Anna's mouth went a little dry, watching his t-shirt ride up and reveal a glimpse of toned stomach. He had that perfect vee shape where his hips sloped into his jeans, and it had been plaguing her all morning.

"Oh, he's nice to look at, but so far, to me, at least, he's been an egotistical, insensitive jerk," she muttered. She hadn't forgotten having the sword to her face or his sneer or the way he called her _firieth_, whatever that meant.

Thranduil's head turned towards her slightly, and she fought to keep her face neutral. Damn! She'd forgotten about how good their hearing was. Beth made a non-committal noise and rose from her seat, heading over to check on her daughter.

"Is that why you two broke up?" Mary asked, "Because he was a jerk?"

"Yeah, I wasn't prepared to put up with it," Anna said, "And that's why I'm raising Legolas to be better. But it wouldn't be fair to keep him apart from his father so..."

"Well, so long as you let your brain run things and not the other place," Mallory said, "Though, I certainly wouldn't say no."

"Hmmm," Anna responded, picking up her coffee and sipping it to avoid giving an actual response.

*

Thranduil was crouched down, listening as Legolas introduced his friends to him. The two from earlier had been joined by another little girl with blonde curls identical to one of the women sitting with Anna. Legolas was explaining some complicated rules to a game the four of them had concocted when Thranduil became aware of someone standing close to him.

Looking up, he found the blonde woman standing next to him.

"Thranduil, is it?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes," he replied, "And you are?"

"Beth," she answered, "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," he said, nodding his head. He did not like the way this Beth raked her eyes over him, as if he were some object or even a slab of meat.

"Anna's a fool for letting you slip through her fingers," Beth said after her perusal was finished.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I mean, she called you a jerk, but what man isn't?" Beth said, leaning in and placing a hand on his upper arm before giving it a light squeeze, "I can tell you're strong, you know what you want." She leaned in even closer.

"I bet you're positively dynamite in the sack," she whispered. Thranduil pulled away. Although he did not know the meaning of her words, her tone of voice had taken on a sensual edge, he was not comfortable with.

"Excuse me," he said, "Legolas, come." Legolas bounded over, and Thranduil lifted him into his arms. He cast a final look at Beth, who was still looking him up and down, hands in her back pockets, and her chest thrust out in a blatant display of sexual interest.

He turned away, walking as quickly as he could back to the table where Anna was sitting. "I would like to leave now," he said, keeping his voice flat. Anna's eyes flicked from him to Beth and back. She nodded, standing and lifting her purse and the bag containing Legolas' boots.

"Sorry to run," she said, "See you again soon." The other women bid her goodbye, and she moved to walk next to Thranduil. A quick glance told him that Beth was still watching. Anna caught his gaze and slid her arm around his waist.

"I got you," she said softly.


	8. Dreams

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Several new pairs of jeans, t-shirts, and underwear were procured for Thranduil, though with some difficulty. Most store assistants they encountered seemed to be rendered incapable of thought or speech once they laid eyes on him.

Thranduil remained oddly quiet throughout the whole affair. Whatever had occurred between him and Beth seemed to have upset him in some way. He did not resist when Anna suggested they forgo the park. Legolas dozed off no sooner than the truck had started anyway.

"Are you okay?" she asked on their return home. Thranduil paused, lifting a still-sleeping Legolas from the truck.

"I am well," he said.

"You've been awful quiet since Beth spoke to you," Anna said, grabbing their bags from the bed of the truck, "Don't tell me, she was telling you how studly you look."

"She was….suggestive," Thranduil said after a moment.

"Yeah, that's Beth," Anna sighed, "Honestly, ever since Susie's father made tracks, she's tried latching on to any man she sees. I thought I had issues, but Beth takes the cake." Thranduil raised a brow.

"Made tracks?" he queried. "He left," Anna explained.

"Just after Susie was born, said being a parent was not for him and went chasing after some other woman." The look on Thranduil's face was one Anna could only describe as utterly horrified.

"How could someone do that?" he asked as he followed Anna into the house, still carrying Legolas in his arms, "Make a child with someone and then change their mind." He sounded utterly disgusted.

"Well...sometimes...accidents happen," Anna said carefully.

"Children are the greatest blessing amongst the Eldar," Thranduil said, raising one hand to rest on Legolas' hair, "We could never turn our back on one."

Anna chuckled, but it was without humor. "Well, I wish everyone else in this world was like you in that respect," she said gently, "There would be a lot more happiness in the world. Don't let him sleep too long, I'm going to go put these away and then it's time for his lessons."

She took the bags with her as she left the kitchen, Thranduil watched her go before looking at his son, asleep on his shoulder.  
“_Ion nin_, it is time to wake up," he said gently. Legolas stirred, his blue eyes blinking open before he smiled. Thranduil returned it with one of his own, setting the boy down and removing his coat.

His heart hurt. Whilst what he had said to Anna was technically true, Imloth was still painful to think about. She was the only Elf Thranduil knew of that had willingly severed the bond with their child, who had abdicated all rights and responsibilities to them. Theirs was not a normal marriage as the Eldar saw it.

They did not marry for love, but rather to secure the Line of Oropher. Both of them had long passed the usual age for marriage without any sign of a fated love appearing for them, and they shared mutual interests. Oropher had been the first to suggest an alliance, and with war looming on the horizon, Thranduil had agreed.

He now suspected Imloth had not been consulted as he had. Just two days after they were wed, Thranduil rode off to war. He returned without his father, a newly crowned king. Two-thirds of his people had been slaughtered. He was welcomed by a wife who was reluctant to share a marital bed or the responsibility of ruling a kingdom.

It had not bothered Thranduil so much at first, his focus ever being his kingdom and his people. As time wore on, whispered rumors of the Queen's absence from his bed circulated. He became impatient, perhaps too impatient.

He regretted now that he had demanded she prepare herself to bear him an heir without having a reasonable discussion with her. It had been the one, and only time they had shared a bed. Imloth had retreated to her own chambers for the duration of her pregnancy.

Whilst his heart had swelled with affection and even love for her as she bore him a much desired son, her heart had retreated from him. She found the comfort she sought in an old acquaintance.

By the time Legolas was ten years old, Imloth had made her decision and informed her husband that she intended to sail for Valinor with her paramour. Thranduil could still remember it clearly.

_The night was dark, cold, and wet. Rain lashed down outside the window of the rooms they had been given. Imloth had been watching the rainfall for hours in silence, and he had taken the opportunity to read in peace._

_"I will not be waiting," her voice had cut through the silence abruptly. Thranduil raised his head._

_"My love?" he queried, noting her wince at the endearment._

_"If you and Legolas should ever follow across the sea, I will not be waiting," she said, her arms crossing in front of her._

_"I do not under..."_

_"Thranduil….there is another," she said, looking down, "An old friend for whom... I have affection."_

“_Colavas," Thranduil knew of whom she spoke. _

_Colavas had passed through the Halls a few years before on his own pilgramidge to the Havens and the long journey across the sea._

_"Yes, my King," Imloth intoned, "We spoke, and I felt a spark of love flicker between us, unlike any I have felt before. I ask that you release me from our marriage bond. I have given you your son and heir, my duty as Queen fulfilled. I ask for no say in his life. I beg for you now to let me follow my heart."_

_Thranduil had sat there watching her intently for some time. She did not falter under his gaze as his mind raced at what this would mean for their son. He would have no mother, but surely that was better than a mother who did not want him. _

_No one would be waiting for them when they sailed for the Undying Lands. Both of his parents resided in the Halls of Mandos and would remain there until the Second Music. He had no siblings, no cousins, as most of those had perished in past wars. If he released her, they would be utterly alone. No. Not alone, they would have each other, and he would cherish Legolas every single day.  
_

“_I release you...”_

“_Ada_!” Legolas’ voice drew him back to the present.  
“Forgive me, _ion nin_,” he said with a smile, “I was remembering.”  
“_Ada_, want to play a game with me?” Legolas asked. Thranduil knelt before the small child and gathered him into his arms once more, kissing his cheek.  
“Always.”

*

Later that evening, Thranduil paused outside Legolas' almost closed door on his way to the bathroom. Inside, he could hear Anna reading to his son. A mortal tradition, a bedtime story, and one he highly approved of.

"' But Pooh,' Piglet began, the tip of his nose growing pink with excitement," Anna read, putting on a higher voice for the character, "' On the other hand it's not easy to count things when they won't stand still.'" Thranduil let out a chuckle at the deeper voice she gave for a second.

"_Ada_?" Legolas spoke, and the story ceased. Thranduil looked inside the room to see Anna sat on the small bed beside Legolas.  
"I did not mean to interrupt," he said.  
"It's okay," Anna replied quietly.  
"_Ada_, come join us!" Legolas said excitedly.  
"Oh, I do no think there is room, _ion nin_,” Thranduil said.  
“No, there’s plenty,” Legolas said, clambering to his feet, “You sit next to _naneth_, and I sit on her knee. Come on_, Ada_."

Thranduil hesitated and glanced at Anna. She smiled and shifted over to where Legolas had been sitting, leaving just enough room for him,….if they sat very close together. He smiled back and strode forward to take the offered place. The bed was smaller than he had realized, and to maintain his balance, he reached out an arm to take hold of the bedpost behind Anna.

"Here, _Ada_, you can hold Piglet," Legolas said as he seated himself on Anna's lap. He offered up a small stuffed version of an Elk.  
"Piglet?" he asked, glancing at Anna.  
"His favorite character," she said before resuming the story, "' But Pooh...' And if Piglet's nose was pink before, it was scarlet now."   
  


Thranduil did not follow the story, it was rather uninteresting to him. Legolas certainly seemed to enjoy hearing about the strange collection of animals running around a wood, going on adventures together. What he did enjoy was the moment itself.

It felt right, to be sat so close to Anna, his arm almost around her as she read his son a story. The little boy had leaned back against her chest, completely relaxed and eyes drooping. He took the opportunity whilst she was distracted to truly look at her.

Her long dark hair was always tied back except for first thing in the mornings when it hung about her face, long, loose and wavy. He liked it, to tell the truth, and he always found it to her detriment to tie it back. She was all softness it seemed, and he had found himself thinking on that softness in the dead of night when both she and Legolas slumbered.

He thought about her hair, her eyes, her lips. He would have been lying if he had told himself he did not find her attractive, but he could not afford to get attached. Not when he and Legolas would be leaving in a year, back through the Fairy Ring to their own world. But oh how he wanted to know what she felt like pressed against him.

His eyes flicked downwards, and he caught a glimpse of her cleavage. Again, soft and full, he found himself wondering how they would feel in his hands if she liked to have them touched if she would let him.

He quickly pulled himself out of his reverie as Anna ended the story. This was not the time or place to focus on such thoughts. He rose from the bed first, and Anna stood, with an almost-asleep Legolas in her arms.

Thranduil pulled back the blankets, and she laid the boy down. She watched as he tucked Legolas in and whispered a wish for pleasant dreams in his ear before kissing his brow. As he stepped back, Anna leaned in and did the same.

"Night-night, _naneth_, night-night _ada_," the boy mumbled and was instantly asleep. Anna silently walked around the bed while Thranduil held the door open for her. As she passed him, he noticed her arms crossed over her front, almost protectively. He followed her out, leaving the door open as was her custom.

"Um...I have an early start tomorrow," she stated. Thranduil waited quietly for her to continue. "I have an appointment in town, I won't be long, and Ian will be stopping over to help out." He couldn't help but notice that Anna was avoiding looking at him and continued to hug herself.

"So, I'm going to have a shower and head to bed myself."

"Anna." She turned to face him but kept her eyes focused on a spot down the hall. "Do not feel you must continue to take on the burden of caring for the more demanding labor around the farm. I will join you in the morning."

Rather than putting her at ease, as he had intended, she seemed to become more agitated. "No, it's okay, really! It's... I have an appointment with my counselor." Anna could tell from his expression that he didn't understand. She sighed, "A counselor is like a doctor." Thranduil's expression immediately changed to one of concern. He stepped closer and surprised her by gently placing his hand on her shoulder. "You are not well?"

The warmth of his hand and his far more intimate proximity had her pulse racing. She forced herself to meet his gaze before continuing. "No, it's not like that," she started, not sure how much she should reveal. "This is the kind of doctor who helps people with... emotional illness."

Thranduil watched her face intently, not speaking, his expression unreadable. He removed his hand and stepped back, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I too feel myself in need of rest," he finally spoke. The mall had been far more draining than he had thought possible, and he wanted time to digest what Anna had just told him. "I shall see you on the morrow."

"See you in the morning," Anna said before turning away and heading into her own bedroom.

He heard another door shut after she had vanished from view and then the sound of running water. He retreated to his own room and sat down on the bed. He needed to take stock of everything. He had been here little more than a week and knew he had begun to care for her, and for her wellbeing. This _firieth_ was getting under his skin.

Half the time, he found her annoying and disagreeable. The other half, he felt a hunger to touch, to taste, to have her cry out his name. Would it be wrong, though? To dally with the woman who had raised his son for the past two years? Nothing more than that, just some physical release and intimacy to satisfy the need he was feeling?

There would be no cause for feelings to be involved, they both knew what the future held, there was an end date to his residency in her home after all. He heard the water stop and the gentle sound of Anna's footsteps as she moved around. Would she be open and willing to such a notion?

He listened carefully as she moved around her room, readying herself for bed, trying not to think about those indecent and yet arousing garments she called her nightwear. Soon quiet descended, and he knew her to be asleep; even the gentle rasp of pages in a book being turned had ceased.

Thranduil eased himself into the center of the bed, laying down. It had been a long day, and he had not slept deeply since his arrival. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath, feeling himself begin to drift.

His dreams brought him outside of the house. He could hear movement on the far side and followed it to a barn he had seen on the property but hadn't yet been within. The door was open, and he stepped inside. There he saw Anna, pulling a large hay bale across the barn and starting to break it down. He smirked to see she wore that scandalously low-cut top and the figure-hugging jeans he had come to appreciate.

She didn't seem to notice him, but no matter, this was just a dream, somewhere he could act upon fantasies and urges he would never entertain in his waking life. Like her. He could indulge in her, do things to her, and with her, that would be poor choices outside of a dream.

As he approached, she stood up. She seemed to stand taller than she usually did, with a burst of confidence he had only seen on occasion. Her head tilted, seeming to hear his footsteps, and she turned around to face him.

"Anna," he said gently, his voice dropping to a low, seductive purr. A half-smile graced her lips, those beautiful pink lips, so soft and full. He stepped in closer, one arm sliding around her waist. This was the beautiful thing about dreams, no consequences.

Her soft, full breasts pressed against his chest as he moved closer, tilting his head slightly. She looked up at him, those startling blue-and-green eyes sparkling up at him, her pupils blown wide. He leaned in and kissed her, moaning in satisfaction when she returned it immediately.

"Anna," he murmured before diving in for another kiss. It was divine. Her lips were soft and perfect against his. There was no reluctance. In fact, there seemed to be a hunger within her as there was in him. He nipped at her lower lip and felt them part for him.

Immediately he crushed her against him, eager to feel every inch of her. His hands skated down her back to her hips, pulling them flush against his. "Do you feel me?" he whispered, "Do you feel how I ache for you?" Blood was rushing from his head to his groin, his length growing impossibly hard within the constrictive jeans.

Anna merely whimpered in response and kissed him once more, hands tugging on his shirt as she pulled him down. They landed in a writhing pile upon the hay, her legs parting to welcome him in. His mind swam with the thought to take her, to pleasure her and himself. Her hips rocked up against him, and he almost lost all semblance of control.

Gathering her up in his arms, he rolled onto his back, her atop of him and her lips gladly welcoming his tongue. Her hands slipped to the buttons of his shirt and began to undo them. His own hands roamed over thigh and hip, slowly snaking upwards. He sat up and lowered his head to brush his lips across the tops of her breasts. She inhaled sharply, one hand coming up to clutch the back of his head.

"Thranduil," she sighed as he kissed her skin, parting his lips and swirling his tongue over her flesh. He moaned his satisfaction at her taste, he could practically smell her arousal and hear the ever-increasing thump of her heartbeat. It was all a dream, alas, but what a dream it would be!

His hands skimmed upwards to gently cup her breasts through her shirt and lift them. A gentle squeeze had her crying out, tilting herself backward to offer him better access.

"Anna," he groaned, "I want you…I want you stripped bare and in my bed. I want to show you all the stars in the sky." She trembled slightly and whispered something he couldn't hear over the rush of blood in his ears. He pulled back, intending to kiss her lips once more when he heard her speak again.

“This is all a dream….you’re not really here….you can’t hurt me like he did...”

Thranduil blinked dumbfounded for a moment.

"This is all a dream," she whispered, her eyes still held tightly shut. "You're not real. You can't hurt me."

His ardour receded like the morning tide. Why would she say such things unless….this was not his dream, he realized. He had never seen the inside of this barn nor inquired as to what it contained. The detail...he was in Anna's dream.

He should stop, he surmised, pull away, and try to wake himself. To walk in someone else's dream without their consent was unforgivable.

"You can't hurt me," Anna whispered, still in his arms, her head now lowered to his shoulder, "None of it can hurt me here."

"Anna?" he said softly, "Who can't hurt you? What do you fear?"

"No..." she shook her head, "No...not again." A sharp inhale told Thranduil there was a strange scent in the air, almost like the smell that came from the pickup truck.

"No….no…."

Then he heard it. A child crying, a little boy. Only it wasn’t Legolas. Another child.  
  


“Mommy!" the frightened voice called, "Mommy, wake up! Wake up, Mommy! Mommy!" Sobbing came, both the child and Anna wrapped in his arms. One hand squeezed her flesh, hoping to draw her attention from the heart-rending screams coming from the unseen source. She raised her head, eyes raw and crying.

"Mommy!" the child's cries came again. Anna looked away to one side before looking back at his.

"You shouldn't be here," she whispered.

Thranduil jerked awake on the bed and sat bolt upright. His ears strained to hear over his pounding heartbeat. Nothing came from Legolas' room, but he could hear faint sounds of distress coming from Anna.

He leapt to his feet and bolted out the door and towards her room. She lay in the bed, still asleep, but her head tossing back and forth.

"Anna," he said softly, but she did not wake. A half-sob came from her and tore at his heart. Carefully he edged forward and sat on the bed beside her. He leaned over her and placed a hand on her cheek.

Something tormented her in her dreams, and she had thrown him out to hide it. He pressed a gentle kiss to her brow, as he had done to Legolas earlier.

"It is just a dream," he whispered, "I am here with you. It cannot hurt you." He looked over his shoulder and across the hallway. Legolas was asleep, dead to the world, and Thranduil was thankful for that.

He lowered himself to lay on his side and wrapped one arm around Anna's twitching frame.

"It is just a dream," he repeated, "I am here. It cannot hurt you." The twitching began to slow, and over the next hour, it finally stopped until all that remained of the nightmare was the voice of the unseen child screaming in Thranduil's mind.

“_Mommy, wake up!”_


	9. Healing

When Anna woke the next morning, she felt almost as tired as she had the night before. Then again, she expected nothing less this time of year, especially today. Restful sleep had eluded her, but last night, it had been for a different reason.

After switching off her alarm, she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Anna re-played the vivid dream over and over in her mind. It had all felt so real! The feel of his arms wrapping around her, his mouth on hers, even the slide of his tongue against hers had felt so real.

She shook her head and sat up. A sex dream? About Thranduil? Really?! Was she so desperate that she was willing to overlook the generally shitty and dismissive attitude he'd her shown so far?

Admittedly, the guy looked like a freaking supermodel, with the build to back up his height. He looked solid. And he had certainly felt solid in her dream. Her face flushed at the memory of just how solid he had felt...

Whatever it was, it had been out of the ordinary, to say the least. Then the familiar nightmare had started. She could hear the screaming, smell the fumes, but then something new had happened. She wasn't alone. Throughout it all, she could hear Thranduil, talking to her. There had been a comforting presence like he was there with her. This time, she hadn’t faced the nightmare all alone.

Anna rubbed her face with her hands and climbed out of bed. She had a lot to do before she left, and daydreaming about Mr. High-And-Mighty wasn't going to get it done. Legolas needed washing, dressing, and feeding. She needed coffee at the very least. She wanted to get the pig and chicken feed ready before she left. She decided to double-check the stock levels of the detergent and fabric softener in case they needed more.

Looking out her bedroom door, she froze. Legolas’ bed was empty. No...he wouldn’t have….Thranduil wouldn’t have just taken the boy, surely?! She turned and raced down the stairs, heading into the kitchen where she stopped dead. They were both there. Thranduil and Legolas, both up and dressed, and eating at the kitchen table, conversing in their own language.

  
“_Naneth_!” Legolas said brightly when he saw her, “Come on, _Ada _made breakfast." Anna just blinked for a moment as Thranduil rose to his feet. "You...you made breakfast?" she looked from the prepared meal to Thranduil and back. He merely nodded and walked over to the counter. Moments later, a hot cup of coffee was in her hands, and she was guided to sit at the table.

Once sat down, a bowl of fruit was placed in front of her. She didn't know what to say, she certainly hadn't expected this. She sipped the coffee. Thranduil had clearly been paying more attention than she gave him credit for. It was perfect. "Eat," he told her. "Yeah," she mumbled, putting her coffee down and picking up a fork, "You didn't have to do this."

"It was no bother," he took his own seat opposite her and returned to his own coffee.

His gaze was fixed on her, just like it had been in her dream, and it felt like those blue eyes could pierce her very soul. Her eyes dropped to the fruit before her. "Thank you," she said, remembering her manners, "I honestly did not expect this."

"Truth be told, I still can not fathom how your oven works so, this was the best I could do," Thranduil admitted with a small smile. Lifting his cup, he continued, "The coffee maker, however, was simple enough."

"You can cook?" Anna asked, surprised. "Enough to survive," he replied.

"I thought you would have always had servants for that sort of thing," Anna said, now curious. "I was not born an heir to a throne," Thranduil stated, his gaze dropping to the table, "After Doriath fell, we were refugees for quite some time. It was expected for all to contribute. You should try my roast boar off the spit." He smiled at Anna over the rim of his cup.

Anna tried to picture him out in the wilderness, cooking an entire beast over a fire, and flushed pink at the thought. Thranduil smirked and drained the last of his coffee before rising from the table.

“Legolas dishes in the sink when you are done.”

"Yes, _Ada_," Legolas chirped and leaned over to pluck a blueberry from Anna's bowl. "Hey, thief!" Anna laughed, "You'll turn into a blueberry one day." Legolas grinned at her. "You have to go to the doctor today?" he asked. "Yes, sweetie," she replied, "So I need to get eating, or Martha and Bertha will be going hungry."

"_Ada_ already made their breakfast," Legolas said, "And the chickens." Anna turned and looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, two pails were sat by the back door, ready to go. "Oh," she said, looking back towards Thranduil, who was now filling the sink with hot water. She frowned.

This sudden transformation was….well...sudden! Sure yesterday, he'd been very cooperative as they had traversed the mall, and he'd looked deeply concerned when she had told him of her appointment. Was that what had caused this?

Despite his aloofness, the first sign that she struggled and he stopped being haughty? Did this elf, for lack of a better word, actually have some humanity about him? "_Naneth_!" Legolas brought her attention back to him, "Is Uncle Ian coming today?" "Err, yeah, sweetie, he is," she recognized the sudden gleam in the boy's eyes. "He's going to make sure you do your chores and your writing." Legolas groaned and dropped his head to the table dramatically.

"Legolas," Thranduil warned, and instantly Legolas was sat properly on his chair, head upright. "Let her enjoy her breakfast in peace ion nin," Thranduil continued, "Go put your boots on, and we shall collect this morning's eggs."

"Okay, can we take your sword in case Sam is mean?"

"Of course," Thranduil promised. Anna's head shot up, and she saw him grin and shake his head. He was joking, she breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever had caused this change, she was glad of it.

*

Anna had decided to kill Ian. She watched as the clock ticked on. He should have been there ten minutes ago and still no sign on him. Huffing, she grabbed the phone and tapped in his number. As she stood there, tapping her foot in annoyance, she spotted Thranduil standing in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame.

God, he filled it and seemed to dominate all the space around him. She tried not to think about him above her, his hard body pressed against her as they rolled in the hay within her dream.

"Annie, I'm sorry," Ian's voice brought her from her thoughts. "You will be sorry when I get my hands on you," she snapped, "I have to leave now, and you're not here!"

"Sorry, I got caught up in something," Ian muttered, on the other end. "Playing Jenga again?" Anna quipped, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Is Fabio just for ornamentation?" Ian said, "Leave short stack with his dad, he'll be fine for half an hour."

"Ian..." "Anna, go to your appointment," Ian said firmly, "Legolas will be fine with Thranduil. Please, you need to go."

"Fine, but if anything happens..."

"I know, I know," Ian said, "Look, I'm getting in my car, see you when you get back." The line hummed, signaling Ian's hasty departure. Anna sighed and put the phone down, looking back towards Thranduil.

"I can assure you, Legolas will be safe in my care," he was watching her intently. "He is my son, after all." Anna groaned and closed her eyes. Of course, he had heard every word. Elves. "Anna," his voice was gentle, "Please. If you need to see this counselor, go." She looked at him again, genuine concern was etched across his face. "Okay," she said quietly, "I'll be back in a couple of hours. Thank you again for this morning, Thranduil. It means a lot to me." He nodded in acknowledgment and held her coat for her.

*

Ian arrived twenty minutes after Anna left. Although the man smiled warmly at Legolas, who was obviously excited to see his 'uncle,' Thranduil could sense a deep sadness behind the facade. He observed the man carefully. Clearly, whatever emotional sickness afflicted Anna, it too affected her brother by proxy.

Ian was not his usual boisterous self, he did not encourage any mischief from Legolas, although he did keep the chores entertaining to a degree. It was when he left Legolas to practice his writing and walked away with his shoulders slumped that Thranduil decided to investigate more. Something that could cause such a lively man to become so despondent was definitely worthy of his attention.

He found Ian in the kitchen, slumped in a chair, one of the photographs from the dresser in his hand. The other hand covered his eyes. "Ian," Thranduil spoke softly. The man jumped slightly, uncovering his eyes. Thranduil was surprised to see tears there. "Are you well?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Ian answered quickly, setting the picture down and running his sleeve across his face. The photo was not one Thranduil had really noticed before. It showed a small boy, around the equivalent age of Legolas, four or five years old. Dark hair and eyes gazed back at him. There was something familiar about his features.

"Who is this?" he asked. "Benji," Ian replied, "Anna's son."

A son? She had a son? He had seen no trace and heard no mention of a child. "Where is he?" Thranduil asked. "Gone," Ian said, "There….there was an accident, five years ago today. He died.”

If Anna’s sobs last night had torn at his heart, Ian’s words broke it.

_A mother who needed a child_.

Galadriel's words took on new meaning now. Anna and Legolas had needed each other. Legolas had needed a mother to love and care for him. Anna needed a child to anchor her after the loss of her own. Now he knew the origin of the voice from the dream last night. Anna's son, screaming for her to wake up.

Thranduil sank into the chair beside Ian, unable to comprehend the thought of losing a child so young. It had almost broken him when Legolas had gone missing. Little wonder Anna now needed counseling. "I am so sorry," was all he could think to say.

"Anna went to a really dark place after it happened, you know?" Ian said quietly, "She just wasn't the same. Every time I came up here, I...I was scared she was going to have hurt herself. And then Legolas turned up, and I had my sister back again. The day she found him, she'd written a note."

Thranduil looked up, eyes fixed on Ian, who was still gazing at the picture of his late nephew. "A suicide note," Ian clarified, "She didn't want to live without Benji. But then Legolas came into her life and...well, he gave her something to focus on. He didn't make the pain go away, but he made it bearable. So every day, I thank whatever it was that sent him to her. Because I still have my sister, if nothing else."

"Galadriel," Thranduil said after a moment, "Her name is Galadriel.”

*

“So, Anna, how are you feeling?"

Anna lifted her head, and looked at the counselor, sat opposite her. Maria was a middle-aged woman, about ten years older than herself. She wore her usual pink skirt and a crisp white blouse. She supposed the same outfit was intended to provide routine and comfort for her patients.

It bugged Anna.

"Same as last time," Anna replied, "Like a chunk of me is missing, and a huge weight sits on my shoulders."

"Have you tried the exercise I suggested at your last session?"

"Yeah," Anna nodded, "I've been writing letters to Benji, telling him about what I've been up to. But there's only so many times I can write about the pigs."

"The point of this exercise was to help alleviate your grief and guilt over how he died," Maria emphasized, "Not to be a laborious task. If you have nothing to say, don’t write.”

  
“It’s not that I don’t have anything to say, it’s just...I can’t put it into words,” Anna muttered, “I mean, how do I even begin to unpack everything...”  
“That is why we have these sessions,” Maria reminded her, “To unpack as you say.

There's something different about you, Anna, something's happened recently." Anna hesitated. It had been the same two years before when Legolas had appeared. Maria always knew. "Yeah, someone new has come into my life," she admitted. "A romantic someone?"

"Dear, god, I hope not," Anna laughed, "I don't need that in my life. Plus, he's a total ass at times. But this morning….forget it."

"No, it's clearly on your mind, so let's talk about it," Maria insisted, "Is this some relation of your cousin?" Anna took a moment. As far as Maria knew, Legolas was her cousin's son, who was currently living with Ian. "Yeah, it's his father," she said, "They're not together anymore, but he's come to visit and reconnect with his son."

"That's good! You'll be able to see a healthy relationship develop, I hope," Maria affirmed.

"Anna, I can see that you're attracted to this man. What was it that he did this morning?"

"He made breakfast," Anna said, "Coffee and everything. It's like something switched in him, and now I have this little voice urging me to act on this attraction."

"And that frightens you?"

"It would mean letting someone in. Someone who could hurt me."

"I have to ask Anna, have you been in contact with Andrew at all?"

"Not since Benji died, and I don't want to."

"I understand your reluctance," Maria said calmly, "But he lost his son too. Do you think that guilt towards Andrew could be holding you back from pursuing a meaningful relationship?"

"No. There is nothing there," Anna said firmly, "I don't want him to know where I am."

"Anna, I am going to tell you the same thing I told you last time," Maria sighed, "You will never begin to heal if you don't put the ghosts of your past to rest." Anna frowned and looked down at her feet. That was not what she wanted to hear.

*

It was almost lunchtime when Anna returned. Thranduil could tell she was angry before she even set foot in the house. It was in the way she slammed the truck door shut, the way she shouldered the door from the garage to the kitchen open and then kicked it shut, all very audible from the living room.

"Uh-oh," Ian muttered, "It did not go well."

"I thought the point of her visit was to help heal her," Thranduil asked. "Yeah, well, Anna and the doc sometimes have a difference of opinion on whether something is working or not," Ian said.

"Hey, Annie!" Anna was in the doorway, a scowl on her face. "Did you remember to hose out the feed buckets?" she asked. "Yes," Ian replied calmly. "Put fresh hay in the sty?" "Yes."

"Did the laundry get done?" "Tall stack did it."  
“Socks?”  
“Short stack."

"Refresh the chicken's water?"

"Ah..."

"Do it."

"Yes, boss."

She vanished into the kitchen, and Ian turned to Thranduil. "She's gonna fixate on the chores for a little while," he said, "Might want to send Legolas upstairs to put all his toys away whilst I go have a showdown with the devil bird.” Thranduil nodded as Ian rose to his feet. Moving over to Legolas, he whispered in his ear to go tidy his room before he walked to the kitchen to look for Anna.

He found her sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. She was crying silently, and he could see tears rolling down her cheeks. He sat in the chair beside her, and she immediately began to wipe the tears away. "Ian told me that you lost your own son," he said carefully, "I cannot begin to imagine how you must feel." Anna sat still but lowered her arms onto the table.

"He was so much like Legolas," she whispered, "Sometimes, it's like I have him back again." Thranduil reached out and placed one of his hands over hers, just as she had for him when he had spoken of Imloth.  
“Legolas was fortunate to have found you, and I am glad he has provided some comfort for you,” he said quietly, “If you ever wish to speak of Benji, you have my ear.”  
“Thank you,” she replied, her fingers closing around his for a moment.

  
“_Naneth_!" Legolas called as he bounded in, "I put all my toys away." Anna withdrew her hand from Thranduil's and lifted the boy up onto her knee. "You did? Good boy!" she said brightly. "Love you, _Naneth_,” Legolas said, wrapping his arms around her neck. Anna closed her eyes and her arms around Legolas, rocking slightly with him.  
“I love you too,” she whispered.

Thranduil could only watch in silence, his heart breaking.


	10. Almost

Thranduil found Anna a few days later, sat at the kitchen table. The whole surface was covered in papers, some clearly handwritten, others, he understood, had come from the computer. Anna had explained that these were receipts, the everyday expenses for feeding the chickens, the pigs, and generally running her small farm.

It was still early in the morning, and Legolas had not yet risen, but Anna looked to have been up for hours. Her brow was furrowed as she examined one particular paper. "Is this anything I can assist with?" he asked.

Anna glanced up at him before sighing. She set the paper down and shook her head. "No, I can barely get my head around it," she demurred, "I hate tax season, and I always leave it til the last minute."

"Ah, taxes," Thranduil said, "Will someone be calling later to collect?" Anna looked up, confusion on her face for a moment before she realised what he meant.

"No, no, we don't have them collected in person anymore," she said, "I pay with a check."

"The little paper with numbers on it?" he asked. He had seen her the day before sorting her bills for the month, and she explained how they worked.

"Exactly," she confirmed.

"Perhaps I could make you some more coffee?" he suggested rising from the table. Realising that although he was considered highly intelligent even amongst his own people, this may indeed be another thing that was beyond his understanding in this world.

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Anna sighed loudly and picked up another piece of paper. Frowning at it, she asked, "And if you could figure out a way to put it directly in my bloodstream without me having to waste time drinking it, that would be great too."

She held out one arm towards him. He chuckled. After two days of looking morose, she was finally beginning to cheer again, and it was becoming clear, she shared her brother's sense of humour at times. He busied himself with the coffee maker, pausing briefly when he heard Legolas stir upstairs.

"What is it?" Anna asked without looking up from her papers.

"Legolas is waking up," Thranduil said.

"He'll be wanting his breakfast when he comes down then," she said, "I need to make some headway on this mess." She ran her hand through her hair, which Thranduil noted was not yet tied back.

"Could Ian not help?"

"He already helps by checking it and filing it," Anna said, "He's coming this afternoon to get it, so if he sees this mess, he's gonna get all smug and start lecturing me."

"And that is not acceptable?"

"No, it's my job to lecture him," Anna replied, "Ah-ha! Got you, my little tax-deductible friend." She smiled and grabbed the pen by her side. She was furiously scribbling notes down so Thranduil returned to making the coffee.

A few moments later, he passed her a cup of hot coffee, which she took with a muttered thanks as he sat in his usual chair. She had progressed through some papers which were now sat on a box on the chair beside her. A thud came from upstairs, and both of them glanced up, listening to the small child clearly moving around.

"What is he doing up there?" Anna said as she lifted the cup to her mouth.

"It sounds as if he is opening his dresser," Thranduil observed.

"He's dressing himself?" Anna managed to choke out around the coffee she had just inhaled. "Whatever you do when he comes down, do not laugh at him!"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Your son can't co-ordinate his clothes to save his life," Anna said, setting her cup down in a now-clear spot on the table.

"Last time he dressed himself, he came down wearing a purple sweater and bright orange shorts." Thranduil choked on his own coffee at the mental image and bit back a laugh.

"Heavens," he whispered, "I hope he does better when he gets older."

"Yeah, I can't imagine it would be good to have rumours that the Elf Prince is color-blind based on his fashion choices," Anna chuckled.

"Well, he has at least fifty years before he would be left to select his own garments," Thranduil clarified, "Time enough to develop a sense of style."

"Fifty years?" Anna said, "How old would he be then?"

"Seventy," Thranduil confirmed, "The equivalent of…. I would say fifteen years old for your kind."

"A teenager," Anna said quietly, setting down her pen, "And I would be…..eighty-four, my grandmother's age when she passed." Silence fell over them as Anna processed her realisation.

"Anna? Are you well?" Thranduil asked after a moment.

"Yeah, it...it's just never really hit me before that by the time he's an adult...I'll be long gone," she said, "Even without the time passing differently." She fell silent again. Thranduil felt guilt settle in his stomach. He had not intended to upset her, he already detested the fact he had to take Legolas away from her.

Ian's words came back to him. How Anna had been close to ending her own life in grief when she had found Legolas and how his son's presence had brought Anna back to her brother. Would she cope if her anchor was ripped away again?

He had to know she would survive losing Legolas. He had time, almost a year, in fact, to try and heal the wounds on her heart and soul. If she were an Elf, he would know-how. The healing of a loved one's _fea_ was a skill passed down from generation to generation.

His mother had taught him when he had still been very young before her death during the Fall of Doriath. His father, too, had given him some instruction. But to heal a mortal, a _firieth_, he had no idea where to start, nothing at his disposal to assess the damage done.

He made to touch her hand, a gesture of comfort when she abruptly moved and grabbed her coffee. He quickly dropped his hand back to the table. They sat in silence, Anna still scratching numbers out on her paperwork and him listening to Legolas' movements.

"Come on, Piglet," he heard Legolas say, "It's time for breakfast." There was a faint creak of springs in the mattress as Legolas leaned on the edge of it to reach his toy. A laugh soon followed, and then the sound of the boy running. Anna looked up.

"Legolas!" she called, "Don't run in just your so…." Too late did Thranduil realise what was about to happen.

He heard Legolas' scream and several thuds. He and Anna were instantly on their feet, running from the kitchen to the hallway. Legolas lay at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the ceiling. Time seemed to slow as he didn't move or make a sound for a moment. Then came the ear-splitting screaming.

Thranduil brushed past Anna and scooped Legolas up from the floor, into his arms. Legolas clutched the back of his head, wailing at the top of his voice. "Go sit down with him," Anna said, "I'll get a cold compress." Thranduil headed into the living room and sat on the couch holding his son against his chest.

"Hush now, _ion nin_," he murmured gently, kissing the crown of his son's head, "I know it hurts." The great Elven King sat gently rocking his boy cradled against him as if he were an infant. Legolas continued to cry, one hand clutching his head, the other holding his stuffed animal in a death grip. Anna appeared a few moments later, with something in her hand.

"There, there now, sweetie," she cooed soothingly, "I'm just going to take a look." She stood off at an angle, allowing the daylight from the window to hit the back of Legolas' head as she parted his hair to check him for an injury.

"Oh, that's a nasty bump," she murmured softly, "Okay, sweetie, this is going to be cold, but it will help make you feel better." She pressed the item in her hand to his head. Legolas jumped slightly but soon settled in Thranduil's arms once more. His crying was already beginning to ease off.

"Is that better?" Anna asked gently after a few minutes.  
“Yes,” Legolas sniffled, his tears starting to dry up, “Magic kisses?”  
“You’re right! What was I thinking?” Anna said, “One magic _naneth_ kiss coming up.” She removed the compress, leaning in and kissing the bump on the back of Legolas’ head. She put the compress back immediately.  
“Better?” she asked.  
“Yeah,” Legolas sniffed, his eyes red raw from crying.

She looked at Thranduil.

"Can you hold this here?" she asked, "I'm going to get a washcloth for his face." He nodded and slid his hand over hers to hold the compress in place. She was slow to withdraw her hand from under his.

"Good boy," she whispered to Legolas before kissing his cheek and leaving.

"Are _naneth_’s kisses really magic, _ion nin_?" Thranduil said gently. "Yes, they make everything better," Legolas stated with a serious look and another sniffle. "And what about _Ada_ kisses?"

"Yes." Thranduil smiled and kissed the top of his son's head. "There," he said, "Two lots of magic healing kisses for a very special _ellon_."

"I not supposed to run in my socks." Legolas looked guilty and dropped his head, "They slippy."

"That is right," Thranduil spoke gently, "And I suppose your _naneth_ has told you this many times." He glanced up to see Anna in the doorway. A smile graced her face, the kind she usually reserved solely for Legolas. But this time, she was smiling at him.

It took a moment, but he realised what had been the cause. He had referred to her as _naneth_ in front of his son, he had called her Legolas' mother. It clearly meant everything to her.

*

By the evening, Legolas' fall was all but forgotten. Ian had made a big fuss over it, clearly worried about his nephew, but Anna soon calmed him, assuring him that Legolas had shown no symptoms of any further damage. The boy had then dragged his uncle off to play video games whilst Anna frantically completed her tax papers.

Ian had given her a look when she handed them over that told Thranduil that he _knew_ the ink was not yet dry, but the man said nothing. He did not stay for dinner, as he usually did, leaving them to their own devices for the evening.

There had been a definite shift in the atmosphere between them, Anna noted, and it started the moment she had walked in and heard Thranduil refer to her as _naneth_. The fact that he had accepted that Legolas thought of her as his mother meant so much, she couldn't express it in words.

She had resisted the urge to run up to him, hug him, and thank him for that acknowledgment. Everything was much calmer and less strained now than it was before. She tried to avoid thinking about what lay ahead, though. She wasn't ready to think about Thranduil taking Legolas home and her being long gone by the time he grew to adulthood.

After dinner, Legolas insisted they watch TV together, and Anna found she was happy to sit next to Thranduil, Legolas in her lap, enjoying a cuddle. Thranduil, did not seem to mind her close proximity either.

The weather had turned and dropped a few degrees, so even once a fire was started, there was a definite chill in the air. Anna grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and pulled it across them. Legolas snuggled further into her arms whilst Thranduil stretched his long arm along the back of the couch behind them.

It was…. cozy. Legolas was engrossed in the nature documentary Anna had put on and wasn't paying a blind bit of attention to the conversation she was having with Thranduil.

"He really does remind me of Benji like this," Anna said, "He loved animals." Although her smile was sad, it felt good to talk about Benji and not just his death.

"There are many creatures in our woods," Thranduil spoke reverently, "An understanding of animals and nature are important for any Elf to know, to help keep the balance."

"Like not over hunting?" Anna asked.

"Precisely," Thranduil answered, "We are a sizeable population, if we were to overhunt a herd, it would never recover. They would die out, and we would have the beginnings of a famine. Equally, we cannot cultivate too much of our land for growing our food."

"Or else the herd loses its food supply, and again, dies out," Anna added.

"Correct," Thranduil smiled.

"It's the same here," Anna said brightly, "I could make the farm bigger, take down some of the trees, expand. But if I do, the wild creatures in the woods lose their homes, their food supply, and it upsets the balance."

"And jeopardizes the future of your people," he added. "True, my people could all feast every day for a decade or so, but what then? There would be none left for future Elflings." He glanced down at Legolas, who was reclined against Anna's chest, his eyes drooping shut.

"What was he like?" Anna asked, drawing his gaze back to her, "As a baby." Thranduil watched her for a moment.

"He was the sweetest little creature I had ever met," he said gently, "He adored being held, most especially by me. His wet nurse said he was a joy to care for."

"Wet nurse? So...she didn't even..."

"No, after the first few days, she declared she did not have the patience for feeding him multiple times a day and employed a wet nurse instead." Thranduil's expression shifted to one of stillness, "nor did she have patience for his crying. She never seemed to understand him." He reached out his hand and touched Legolas' own. The almost-sleeping boy closed his hand around two of Thranduil's fingers.

"But you did?" Anna asked.

"Yes, I knew when he was tired, when he was hungry," Thranduil stated, his eyes still fixed on his sleepy son, "It all came so naturally to me." He smiled and stroked the small hand clutching his own.

"It took me a little while with Benji," Anna said, "But once I understood his different cries, everything just sort of clicked. He was my everything."

"As Legolas is mine," Thranduil said quietly, "_Ada _was even his first word."

"Benji's was mama," Anna smiled sadly, "I just remember waking up one morning and hearing him shout 'mama, mama, mama' from his crib. And when I walked in, he just beamed at me and said it again. And then didn't stop for about two years." She chuckled, "He was eleven months old at the time."

"Legolas was three."

"Years?"

"Months," Thranduil said, enjoying a mixture of bemusement and horror on Anna's face, "Elven children develop mentally much faster than humans. Often they are walking and talking within the first year."

"And yet, they take a century to become adults?"

"Ours are a long-lived race, our minds grow far apace of our bodies," Thranduil replied.

"And all I wanted was for Benji to stay my baby for even longer than he was," Anna mused. Her arms tightened around Legolas, who was now fully asleep.

"You are a wonderful mother, Anna," Thranduil said softly, "I see it every day with Legolas." Anna closed her eyes, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"After Imloth departed, he became withdrawn, restless and quiet, a shell of his former self." he admitted sadly. "He even began to fall behind his peers in terms of his intellect. But you, you brought him back. I have the son I once knew again, and I thank you for that. He never would have fallen asleep on someone as he has with you.”

Anna looked down. Legolas was snoring lightly, cradled in her arms, a look of contentment on his face. She smiled, and it took Thranduil's breath away to see it. A look of pure love. Gently he slid his fingers free of Legolas' grip and reached out, wiping away the tear that clung to Anna's skin.

She looked up at him and smiled warmly. Her cheeks flushed pink, and he couldn't help but be reminded of the dream he had stumbled in to. The feel of her body pressed against his, the softness of her lips. His fingers caught a loose strand of hair, he was pleased to see she hadn't tied it back all day. He gently brushed it back behind her ear. His fingers brushed down her neck and over her pulse point. Her heart was pounding, he could feel it.

What would he give for one more taste of her lips, to see if their dream had been accurate? He leaned in a little and was pleased to see her mimic his movements. He could see her eyes darkening, her warm breath ghosting across his skin. Yes, yes, just one kiss, to see if that spark had been real.

"_Ada_, I got to go pee," Legolas mumbled in a sleepy voice, causing them to practically jump apart. Anna's cheeks darkened, now almost red as Legolas scrambled out of her arms. Thranduil cleared his throat. "I will go with him, ensure he does not flood anything," he muttered. Anna just nodded, staring at her hands as he threw the blanket off himself. It was too late now, the moment was gone.


	11. The Storm

Thranduil leaned against Legolas’ door frame, watching his son sleep. He seemed no worse for his tumble down the stairs, still clinging to his stuffed animal. Piglet. What a ridiculous name for an Elk! But still, Legolas was very attached to it. Just as he was to Anna.

Thranduil glanced over his shoulder. True to her routine, she slept with her door open, always listening for Legolas rising in the night. He had been sincere in what he told her. Legolas was far more the exuberant elfling he had once been under her care, for lack of a better word, he was flourishing. But it did not stop the annoyance Thranduil had felt when Legolas had woken at the most inopportune moment earlier.

So close.

The pull of this _firieth_ was becoming harder and harder to ignore. Thranduil was no longer sure if it was just confusion over the care Anna provided his child or whether he was genuinely attracted to her. Still, she had leaned towards him, open to the offer of a kiss, she had wanted him.

He felt the urge with every fiber of his being, to go to her, even now as she slept and taste her lips. Such an intrusion would have once been unthinkable, yet he felt a call from her to him.

Her sleep was restful, the rise and fall of her chest slow and steady. No nightmares plagued her this night. Just pleasant dreams if her small smile was anything to go by.

Thranduil stood up straight. There was no need to stand watch, he decided. He headed downstairs, intent on finishing a book he had found. _Dracula_. He was intrigued that this world, too, had knowledge of vampires. However, here they seemed relegated to works of fiction and were held in some odd a sense of regard. But still, it was an interesting read.

The fire in the living room burned low, but the house was still pleasantly warm. He would feed it more wood in a few hours to revive it, but for now, there was no need. Settling on the couch, he found his place and began to read again.

After a few minutes, he sighed in irritation. No matter how much he tried, he could not concentrate. Something tormented him. It sat just at the back of his mind, and it was impossible to ignore.

Finally, he set down the book and relaxed against the couch. Something or someone called to him. Perhaps it was Legolas? Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift, following the call.

*

He found himself in a meadow, one he knew well; the trees and flowers surrounding him affirmed that he was, in fact, back in the Greenwood. He was home.

He sighed happily, the familiar scent of home filling his senses, the breeze carelessly lifting his hair. He missed home truth be told. Sindar, he may be by birth, but the woods truly were his haven and a balm to his heart.

“_Ada_!" a voice called. He turned and was surprised to see Legolas there, waving to him. But this was not a small child that stood before him, this was an adolescent on the cusp of adulthood.

He was not as tall as Thranduil, but that was starting to be expected amongst the Eldar. As their power waned, their children grew closer to the height of Men. Legolas' cheerful spirit was still clearly evident. "_Ada_, come on!" Legolas beckoned him to follow, and so he did.

Looking down at himself, he saw that he was dressed in a more relaxed version of his royal vestments and robe. Perfect for an afternoon stroll, he thought. And then he heard it, light on the wind, Anna's voice.

He looked up, she was seated in the center of the meadow, Legolas running towards her. Thranduil's breath caught in his throat when he saw Benji knelt at her side. The dark hair and eyes were unmistakable. This was the boy from the photograph, unquestionably, but his ears were pointed, like an _ellon_.

Thranduil blinked, certain this was some trick of the dream. But no, Benji was there, pressed against his mother's side, listening as she read a story to him. Sweet-sounding laughter came from behind Thranduil. He watched fascinated as two _elleth_ ran past him, their long dark hair trailing behind them.

They soon caught up with Legolas and joined Anna as she read. Thranduil paused and frowned. This all felt so real and yet…. Benji was deceased, and he could not place names to the two _young elleth_ that now sat with Anna, although they looked familiar.

An insistent tug at his hand drew his attention to his side. A small child, no older than Legolas, was outside the dream, stood there, holding two of his fingers in her tiny hand, her long blonde hair so familiar.  
“_Ada_,” she smiled brightly, “_Naneth _is reading stories.”

_Ada_?!

He looked back towards Anna and the children. Slowly, their various facial features began to fall into place. Their brow, noses, and jaws were all him, but their eyes, hair, and smiles were purely Anna. They were her children... _his children_.

He looked back down at the smallest _elleth_ who now reached up to him with both arms. He lifted her.

"Hello, little one," he spoke softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her close, his heart beating rapidly. This was impossible.

Impossible for it to be a dream. Anna did not know the Woodland Realm. She would not know the trees, the flowers, the scent on the air. She did not know this meadow...

Legolas would never have imagined something like this. This child had his scent, she was _his._

His daughter. He looked up at Anna, who smiled softly and returned to reading to the children. _Their children_.

Finally, the little girl leaned back in his arms and beamed at him. "Tell me your name, little one," he said, unable to stop himself from asking. He needed to know. "I am Tiriel_, Ada_, did you forget me?" she laughed her eyes as oddly beautiful as her mother's.

"Oh, Tiriel, I could never forget you," he said, feeling a grin spread from ear to ear. A low rumble of thunder made the child gasp and bury her face in his neck. Thranduil looked for the source. Away to the south-east, he saw a dark cloud approaching, threatening thunder and rain.

Then he detected it, that odd smell from Anna's nightmare had returned once more, and in the distance, he could hear Benji's voice... crying, screaming for his mother.

Looking back, he saw the other children now cowering in Anna's arms. The look on her face tore at his heart. She held the children against her body, her eyes wide with fear.

He looked back towards the oncoming storm.

"Back," he commanded, "Back from whence you came. I will not let you take this from her!"

For a brief moment, he felt something push back, it searched for weakness and found none. For the most fleeting moment, Thranduil could sense shock, curiosity, and then anger. It soon surrendered, and he expelled the nightmare before it took form. The cloud rolled away. He looked at the child trembling in his arms.  
“It is gone, little one,” he whispered, “You are safe now.”

*

He awoke with a start, blinking in surprise, daylight streaming through the windows, and Anna stood in front of him, two cups in her hand.

"Well, good morning," she said, "You looked pretty out of it, have a good dream?"

Thranduil looked around. It indeed was morning, the fire was little more than smouldering ashes in the grate, and his back felt stiff.

"I had not intended to fall asleep," he took the cup she offered him, "But, yes, it was a good dream." He looked up at her. An incredible dream.

To see her as mother to more children of his. A fantasy, he was sure. He could never take her back. Her life would dwindle away before his very eyes. No, best to leave such heartache locked away where it could never manifest itself.

Loud, raucous laughter came from the kitchen.

"Is Ian here?" he asked.

"No, no, that's Bubba," Anna explained, "He lives on the farm next door, sometimes he comes over to play with Legolas. Come on, breakfast is ready."

Thranduil's stomach growled, and he felt suddenly very hungry. It had taken more of his power than he realized to push the nightmare back. He rose to his feet and looked down at Anna. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she looked away. What he would give to know what she had just been thinking.

He followed her into the kitchen where Legolas sat at the table, a small boy sat in Ian's usual chair. His curly red hair wobbled as he and Legolas chatted animatedly. Apparently, Legolas understood every word the boy was saying, although Thranduil could not.

Thranduil took his usual chair, a plate of food already waiting for him, and Anna sat as well.

"He ya daddy?" the child Bubba said, looking at Legolas. Legolas nodded.

"He's my _Ada_,” he confirmed.  
“Oh, he real tall.” Bubble observed, “Ya know, my daddy said long hair only goes on gurls. But he also say he only has one beer at night.”  
“Your daddy a liar,” Legolas muttered.

"Legolas!" Anna said firmly, "Don't be rude."

"But Bubba..."

"Legolas."

"Okay," Legolas slumped in his chair, "Sorry for calling your daddy a liar, Bubba."

"Is okay," Bubba mouthed around a bite of egg, "He is."

"See?!" Legolas said to Anna.

"Doesn't matter, I expect better manners from you," Anna warned him.

"Your _naneth_ is right, _ion nin_," Thranduil added, "We both expect better from you."

Out the corner of his eye, Thranduil noted Bubba's gaze fixed on him, more notably, his ears. "Yes?" he peered down his nose at the small, ruddy human boy.

"Mister, are you the toof fairy?"

*

Later on, after breakfast had been cleared away and Thranduil had helped the boys feed the pigs and chickens, calm settled over the house. It was the perfect time for Anna to think whilst she checked the pantry. They were due a big grocery trip, something she had been avoiding since Thranduil had arrived. They were rapidly running out of some foodstuffs.

Thranduil was sat at the kitchen table, once more thoroughly engrossed in his book. Anna had noticed he had shown an inclination to some of her old Gothic novels and made a mental note to stop by the library for more soon.

The kitchen window was open, and she could hear Legolas and Bubba playing outside. Bubba, or to use his given name Robbie Ray, was a very boisterous boy and was more than capable of keeping up with Legolas. The two of them were running back and forth, scattering the chickens enough that even Sam was keeping out of their way.

She checked how many tins of peas they had left and replayed the events of the previous day. To see that they could put everything aside when Legolas was in need had felt wonderful. And then he’d even referred to her as _naneth_!

All that pushing and pulling over her being Legolas' mother had disappeared! She may not have carried Legolas or brought him into the world, but she cared for him every day, taught him, loved him. If that didn't make her his mother, she didn't know what did.

And then there had been that almost kiss. The two of them talking, sitting so closely. All Anna had been able to think about was how good Thranduil smelled, how it felt so right to be sat under a blanket with him, with Legolas in her arms.

A part of her wished Legolas had not woken up at that moment, but another part was thankful. She couldn't let herself get attached to him as well, not when they were leaving. She didn't need another messy relationship with a man. She didn't need twice the heartache.

She shook her head and quickly counted the tins of beans. It shouldn't matter to her that she had a freaking supermodel living under her roof. She shouldn't be dreaming about him certainly. The dream last night had been downright weird. But…it had felt so right, so good.

When she had seen Benji, she was so afraid it would be another nightmare. But then she had seen him laughing and playing with Legolas, like brothers. Then she had spotted Benji's ears. Pointed! It was all a little fantasy, where Benji was Thranduil's son, not…. No, she wasn't going to think about him.

And she was certainly not going to think about the two little girls she had dreamt of too…. Or Thranduil striding into view, carrying a small girl who looked _so much _like him.

She realized the noise outside had stopped. An eerie silence had descended suddenly, which with children of Legolas and Bubba’s age meant only one thing: mischief.

She looked through the open door to the kitchen. Thranduil, too, had noticed and was looking towards the window. Setting down her pad and pen, she hurried in. Still nothing.

"What are they up to?" she said aloud, heading for the back door. Thranduil was right behind her.

Once outside, she spotted the two boys running towards her.  
“_Naneth_, I’m sorry," Legolas blurted out as he and Bubba ran and hid behind Thranduil's legs. Anna looked up and saw what they had done. The gate to the pigpen was open, and her two large Berkshire sows were out.

"Get inside," she fired at the boys, "Inside! Now!"

Both of the sows easily weighed five hundred pounds, and whilst they were both reasonably docile, they were definitely not pets.

She grabbed the empty feed bucket from by the door and turned to Thranduil. "When I get them back in the pen," she said, "Lock the gate, fast." He nodded silently. She took off at a run, jangling the loose handle of the bucket to get the sow's attention.

"Come and get it!" she shouted as both sows slowly turned towards her. She slipped on some loose gravel and mud, cursing a little but kept running. A late-night rainstorm had soaked the ground, and she and the pigs were now starting to churn it up.

Thranduil, however, seemed to glide gracefully over the surface. Anna doubted he would even leave footprints.

"Come on," she encouraged as Martha and Bertha started heading towards her, "Come on!" She began, leading them backward towards the pen, both pigs now trotting after her and picking up speed.

Anna's heart was pounding. Docile, they might be, but these pigs could still trample her if she fell underfoot. Her foot slipped on a particularly loose bit of ground, and she landed ungracefully on her side in the mud.

For a moment, Thranduil looked concerned, but she shook her head and got to her feet, quickly leading the pigs back into their pen.

"That's it!" she called, "Good girls! Come on!"

As soon as both pigs were back inside, Thranduil shut the gate and locked it. The pigs quickly realized Anna didn't have any food. Anna ran for the fence, tossing the bucket over before jumping up and grabbing the top of the five-foot perimeter.

She was just pulling herself up when Thranduil appeared on the other side. He had hauled himself up despite that side of the fence being almost smooth. His arm wrapped around Anna's waist, and he hauled her over the top as though she weighed nothing.

Two irritated hogs hit the side of the fence, causing his hand to slip and sending the pair of them crashing into the mud. Thranduil had taken most of the impact, Anna laid out on top of him as they got their bearings. His arms were still wrapped around her, and for a moment, it all felt very familiar. But they'd never had this kind of physical contact. Except…

Anna couldn't believe it. It was him who had stayed with her during her nightmare. When she had relived Benji's death over and over...he must have realized and tried to comfort her. She had felt safe, and even now, she did. It felt right as it all clicked into place. He had been trying to help.

She rolled off him and groaned, realizing she was now covered in even more filth. Thranduil got to his feet and extended a hand down to her, which she gladly took. A frisson of awareness shot through her from contact with his warm skin.   
  


It was going to be difficult to ignore the undeniable attraction to him for an entire year. And knowing that he had tried to help her in her darkest hour...it made all thoughts of the heartache that awaited her fade away. Who cares if it broke her heart? It had been broken before, and she had survived.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his hands running down her arms and ribs, checking for any injuries. Anna didn't answer. He was so different. He actually cared about her. She didn't even realize what she was doing until she brushed his hands away. He didn't react, just watched her raise up on her toes, her hands on his shoulders, and kiss him.


	12. Kiss

Anna pulled away and stared at Thranduil, wide-eyed. What the hell had she been thinking?!

"S...sorry," she mumbled, "I don't know why I did that." She was lying. She knew damn well why she had kissed him. He had been kind, caring, and was stupidly attractive. She blinked and looked away, trying to ignore the fact that his hands now rested on her waist, and she could feel the warmth penetrating through her clothes, and the fact her lips tingled from contact with his.

She made to step away from him and out of his grasp when she felt his hold on her tighten. He pulled her back in close until she collided firmly against his chest. His head lowered, and his mouth was on hers.

Her breath caught in her throat at the contact. This was no mere peck on the lips; this was a full kiss. Thranduil's lips brushed against hers, tempting them to dance with his. She sighed and leaned into it, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck and allowed herself to kiss him back.

A deeply satisfied hum rumbled through his chest, and his arms enveloped her. The kiss became more insistent, and all the world seemed to melt away except for him.

She pressed closer and was rewarded with a gentle, tantalizing flick of his tongue against her mouth. She was about to open up to him when a childish giggle brought her back to earth with a bump. She pulled back abruptly and pushed his arms away when she realized that Legolas and Bubba were standing by the back door, watching them intently.

She flushed pink at the thought of being seen kissing Thranduil by the two boys. She turned on her heel, away from Thranduil and towards the children.

"Legolas, get over here, now!" She pointed at the ground by her feet for emphasis, and Legolas' laughter died on his lips.

"I said I'm sorry, _naneth_,” he protested.  
“Here, now!” Anna repeated, her voice hard.

Sheepishly, Legolas shuffled over to her, his head bowed. He knew he was in trouble.

"How many times have I told you that the pigs are not pets?" she asked sharply, "Do you have any idea how stupid it was to let them out. You could have been hurt. You could have been killed!"

Legolas looked up at her, his big blue eyes wet with tears.

"I sorry, _naneth_," he blubbered, "I no do it again."

"You're damn right, you won't!" Anna stood with her hands on her hips, "You're grounded."

"No, _naneth_, please,” Legolas begged.  
“No TV, no video games, no playing outside,” she stated, “And no Bubba!”  
“No, _naneth_, please,” Legolas began to cry, reaching up and clinging on to her sleeve, “_Naneth_, I be good, I promise!"

"I don't want your promises, Legolas," Anna pulled her arm out of his grasp. She knelt so that she was at his level and placed her hands on his shaking shoulders before speaking to him. "I want you to take your punishment with grace and humility, and to prove to me, you can behave."

"I behave! I behave!" Legolas wept, "_Naneth_, please, no ground me!"

"I'm not changing my mind," Anna snapped, standing up and stepping away from him, "Now, you go to your room, sit on your bed and think about what you've done! No playing with your toys or reading your books, I want you to really think."

Legolas wailed but turned and headed back towards the house, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeves. Anna hated to see him like this, but she was his parent, not his friend, and he needed to learn his actions had consequences.

Bubba stood with his back to the side of the house, watching Anna.

"Bubba, go sit on the couch," her voice was clipped, "I'm going to get cleaned up, and then I'm taking you home."

"Yes, Miss Anna," Bubba nodded fervently and disappeared into the house with Legolas, who was still crying.

With the boys gone, Anna felt Thranduil's eyes on her. She fought the urge to turn around and face him. She had no idea how he would react to this. Would he stay silent and observe? Would he think her too harsh? Would he agree with the punishment she had handed down to his son?

She didn't care. She'd been raising Legolas alone for two years. He didn't get to just waltz in and start criticizing how she parented. She headed for the house, cursing at how filthy her clothes were. They would have to go straight in the washer. She finally glanced over her shoulder to find Thranduil close behind her. His gaze was fixed on the house, but she could see small movements that told her he was tracking Legolas' movement inside.

"Has he gone upstairs?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Good," she replied. She stopped at the back door and pulled off her boots. She looked over at Thranduil. She could see that his whole back was caked in muck.

"We'll have to strip off here and stick everything straight in the washer," she said quietly, "Or we'll track mud through the house."

Thranduil said nothing.

All the ease and genialness had gone, the tension was thick in the air between them.

They hadn't finished that kiss.

Anna sighed and pulled her shirt and tank top off over her head, dropping them to the floor by the door. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Thranduil do the same with his own clothes.

She tried to ignore the clench of longing she felt when she saw his defined muscles shift beneath his skin. He was like a sculpture from some ancient civilization, along with the supermodel height and face. She looked down as she undid her jeans and missed the appreciative glance from Thranduil that passed over her form as he admired her figure.

Once down to her underwear, Anna felt cold and vulnerable, and she didn't like it. Not wanting to spend a second longer in that state than she had to, she gathered up her clothes and headed in.

"Just stick yours in the washer when you're done," she said, ignoring the vee-shape of his pelvis as it dipped into his jeans and not seeing the hungry look, he gave her rear as she walked away.

She dumped her clothes in the washer and ran for the stairs and the sanctuary of her room. Legolas' sobs had subsided by the time she passed his door, but he was doing as he was told, sitting on his bed, not playing or reading, just thinking about what he had done.

She fought the need to run into his room and gather him up in her arms. She needed to hold him, feel that he was there, safe. She hadn't lost him. Instead, she forced herself to turn away. She would go to him later, talk to him, reassure him and herself.

Downstairs, the back door slammed shut, and Anna retreated into her room, shutting the door quickly. If she saw him stripped down to his underwear, she might lose all self-control. She quickly pulled some thick leggings and a large baggy sweater out of her closet and dressed. A spare pair of boots were by the door, and she grabbed them on the way down.

"C'mon Bubba," she said as she slid her feet into the boots and laced them up, "Time to go home." The small red-haired boy followed her out to the truck in silence, only speaking as she strapped him into the seat.

"I'm sorry, Miss Anna," he said quietly, "It were my idea to let the hogs out."

"Apology accepted, Robbie," she replied, "But I'm going to have to tell your mama. You put yourself and Legolas in a lot of danger."

"I know," the boy answered sadly. Anna sighed and gave the boy a quick peck on his cheek before stepping back.

"You not mad at me, Miss Anna?"

"OH yes, I'm mad Robbie, I'm furious! The boy dropped his eyes again, she could see the little tremble of his lips and the tear that slipped from his eye. "I'm mad because you could have been hurt, Robbie, badly, and I love you."

"I love you too, Miss Anna. Please don't be too hard on Leg'las."

Anna climbed into the truck and pulled the seatbelt over her lap. "Legolas will be fine, and you can see him again when he's finished his punishment."

"Oh, damn! Momma's gonna whoop my butt!"

*

Thranduil had heard the sound of the truck leaving as he redressed, but it did not concern him. In fact, his son had not been in as much danger as Anna had thought. Yes, the actions of the two boys had been foolish, but the mortal boy had been in far more danger than Legolas. In truth, his mind dwelt on their kiss. The feel of her soft lips on his, her body pressed against him. Oh, what he would have given to not have been interrupted in that instant. For neither of them to have had to play the role of parent at that moment.

Were they back in his Kingdom, such a disturbance would never have occurred. His son would have been attended by a personal guard to prevent such foolish behavior. And his moment with Anna… all in the vicinity would have promptly vanished at the sight of their King in such a passionate embrace. He would have been free to do with her as he wished.

Touch her where he wanted to, taste her as he wished, even taken her to his bed. But alas, he had but the briefest of kisses from her. Though the taste of her on his tongue would remain with him forever. A sweetness he had never known before. He longed for another taste.

_He would have one!_ Sooner or later, she would seek him out for more, and he would take whatever she offered. He had felt a sense of pride when he had watched her lay down her word as law with Legolas. She had stood up straight, firm, and strong.

She was clear in her words and decisive in her actions. The makings of a Queen. He shook his head. _Where had that come from? A Queen?_ Clearly, the dream from the night before had gone to his head. No. Not a Queen. She was a Mother. And that was what Legolas needed.

But what did he need?

He left the confines of his room and walked to Legolas' room. Just inside, through the slightly open door, he could see Legolas sat on the bed, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. He no longer cried, just sniffled.

He was pleased to see Legolas taking his punishment seriously. Not a toy nor a book had been touched. He was thinking about what he had done. It had been a foolish idea. The beasts that Anna raised were not domesticated, they were not like a loyal hound who would stand over a fallen master. They would have trampled him and most certainly have killed his mortal friend.

Thranduil's thoughts turned to Benji. Ian had said Benji's death had been the result of an accident. Had it been something similar to this morning? Not likely, Anna had been perfectly calm and collected throughout. He suspected Benji's death involved a motor vehicle like Anna's pickup truck.

His attention was abruptly drawn from his musings, "_Ada_?” Legolas’ voice sounded cracked and broken.  
“Yes, _ion nin_," Thranduil spoke softly though he did not open the door. "_Ada_, I am sorry," Legolas hiccupped through fresh tears, "It was a silly thing to do. Can I please come out now?" Thranduil hesitated.

On the one hand, he not Anna was Legolas' parent, he certainly found Legolas remorseful. On the other hand, allowing Legolas out would undermine Anna's authority. This was her house, her rules, and she alone had cared for Legolas for two years. Her actions had been just, and he would respect her sanction of his son.

"Not yet, _ion nin_,” he replied, “When your _naneth_ returns, she and I will decide if you have pondered the consequences of your actions suitably."

"Okay," Legolas wiped at his nose, and silence fell again. Thranduil gracefully lowered himself to sit on the floor and leaned back against the wall.

"_Ada_?”  
“Yes, my son?”  
“Why were you and _naneth_ kissing?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil hesitated. He did not completely understand what had happened himself. How he had gone from checking her for injuries to being locked in an embrace with her sweet lips on his. He smiled at the memory.  
“_Ada_?"

"I wish I had an answer for you, _ion nin_,” he replied, “Relationships between adults can be...complicated.”  
“Will you and _naneth_ get married?”

Thranduil scoffed in amusement.

"I doubt it," he replied, "But know this, we both love you very much. And I do care about your _naneth_."

"I knew it!" Legolas declared happily.

The sound of the door to the garage shutting drew Thranduil back to his feet, and he headed down the stairs. Anna was in the kitchen, leaning over the sink.

"He is taking his punishment well," Thranduil broke the uneasy quiet. "He heard me passing by, he acknowledges that what he did lacked thought." Anna merely nodded.

"Anna?" he spoke gently, moving to stand beside her. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Anna," he coaxed again. She straightened up and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

"It was a stupid thing for him to do," she spat hotly, "He...he could have been hurt...he...he could have d…." She did not need to finish the sentence. Thranduil had been wrong; Benji's death did return to haunt her even now. He stepped forward, enveloping her in his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder and sniffed.

"Thank you for starting the washer," she said. She was trying to distract herself.

"It was no bother," he replied, "I think Legolas wishes to apologize to you." Anna nodded and straightened up, wiping her eyes again. He wanted to kiss her, to kiss away the stray tears that still stained her cheeks, to kiss her until she smiled. But this was not the time.

He stepped back, and she moved past him, headed for the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she looked back and offered a small smile. He returned it. Now he definitely wanted to kiss her.

*

That night as Thranduil went to take up his usual watch over Legolas, he was surprised to find the bed empty. For a moment, he stared at the empty bed before turning around. Anna's door was closed for the first time since he had arrived. He pushed it open and breathed a sigh of relief to find Legolas asleep there in Anna's arms.

They both looked peaceful, and it soothed his soul to see it. He leaned against the door frame, making a note to himself to have Legolas rooms moved closer to his. The transition from here to home would be jarring, and if sleeping in his father's bed would help Legolas, he would do it.

Anna's eyes fluttered open and fixed on him. He remained still and shifted his gaze to Legolas. Her own followed, and she relaxed a little, rolling onto her side to get a better look at the boy. Tucking Legolas' hair behind his ear, she seemed satisfied he was well and pressed a kiss to Legolas' forehead before looking back at Thranduil.

He swallowed as he saw she was wearing the tank top and shorts once more. He could feel his body sing to see her, knowing how she felt pressed up against him. He watched her eyes trail up and down him.

_Please. Please let her come to me._

Her eyes locked on his. 'Tea?' she mouthed. Thranduil let out a silent breath and nodded. He stood up straight and headed towards the stairs. He heard the bed shift as Anna rose to follow him. He longed to finish the kiss they had shared, this time without interruption, but he would not press her. She would have to come to him willingly.

Once in the kitchen, he set about preparing two cups. Casual observation of Anna's routines had given him knowledge of how she laid out her kitchen, and he was even finding some of her gadgetry easy to use. The kettle for boiling water was a marvel. The water was just starting to heat up when Anna came in.

She wore her short robe once more, but he did not find it as repulsive and inappropriate as he once did. Instead, he longed to remove it from her, to see her form unobstructed by garments. She gave him a small smile as she reached his side, quickly changing the cup he had selected for another one. One of her little quirks, he noticed, she liked certain cups for certain drinks.

Anna couldn't help but pass an appreciative glance over Thranduil as she stood next to him. The sweatpants he wore were slung low on his hips, making him seem even taller and drawing attention to how strong his core was. There was a lot of power hiding in that body, she had felt it that morning when he'd pulled her over the fence.

His arms too, she thought, admiring them in the sleeveless shirt he wore. Was it possible to have perfect arms? Because he certainly did. She scooted around him to grab a teaspoon from the drawer and noticed a fresh-looking pink scar on his bicep.

"Oh my god," she breathed, "Are you hurt?" She couldn't help but grab his arm and move it into the moonlight to look.

"When did this happen?" she spluttered.

"Many centuries ago," Thranduil answered her quietly.

"But...it looks so fresh," Anna gasped, "I thought maybe you'd hurt yourself earlier...What happened?"

The kettle boiled, and they were momentarily distracted. He filled the cups and offering Anna hers, they moved to sit at the table, Thranduil sat in his usual chair, but Anna sat in Ian's, her fingers tracing over the scar once more as they drank.

"It was a dragon," he said after a few moments of silence, staring into his cup, "It tried to seize me, and missed. Unfortunately, injuries dealt by those winged beasts never fully heal, and so centuries later, it still looks as it once did. I have many such scars; they are more easily hidden." Anna's mind briefly wondered how many scars he had and where. Her face flushed pink at the thought, and she looked away.

Thranduil, however, remained looking at her, with a slight smirk knowing where her mind might have gone. He took their now empty cups and went to put them in the sink. He heard her follow him.

"I...um...I meant to thank you, for...for pulling me out of the pigpen," she said, "I didn't really have a plan for getting out of there."

"No thanks are necessary," he said, turning to face her. His eyes were drawn to her lips which she was currently chewing nervously. He could not help himself as he stepped closer, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek. Anna looked up at him. In the growing light, he could see where the two colors of her eyes merged. So like the waters of Sirion. Hypnotic.

"We...er...we never did finish that...the kiss from earlier," she said, her eyes locked on his. Thranduil felt his heart race at her words. "We did not," he murmured before lowering his head. A brief touch of their lips made his blood sing. He wanted more. He dove back in, drawing her deeper into the kiss. Anna sighed and leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his neck. His hands slipped to her waist and the tie for her robe.

He wanted the confounded thing out of the way, it obscured her shape and held her warmth from him. His tongue flicked out against her lips, and she opened up to him. He bit back a grunt and let his fingers undo the belt of her robe. Then it was open, and she was pressed against him, her warmth filling him through their clothes.

His tongue moved with hers in that timeless erotic dance. He breathed her name as he lifted her, turning to sit her on the counter. His fingers slipped beneath her top, and she mewled in desire. He slid his hands further up her skin, marveling at the softness he found there. Oh, if she would let him, he would strip her bare and kiss every inch of her.

Her hands ran down his arms, fingers tracing and squeezing muscles as they went. His fingertips brushed the gentle curve of her breasts when...a rooster crowed. Anna suddenly pulled back, her pupils blown wide, and her chest heaving for breath. He quickly withdrew his hands and lowered his head, fighting to reclaim his control before he attempted to take her then and there.

"Legolas will be up soon," she panted, "Um...what do you want for breakfast?"

"Chicken," Thranduil growled, wishing to find the bird with the unfortunate timing and wring its neck.

The pair of them laughed for a moment, but the sound of two small feet hitting the floor upstairs drew their attention. Thranduil stepped aside, and Anna hopped off the counter. Within seconds, her robe was secured once more, and Legolas would be none the wiser that something had occurred between them.

The little tearaway appeared, a streak of blond hair as he threw himself at Anna, babbling about it being 'Morphin time.' He did not even appear to realize that his father was there.

"_Naneth_, can we have toast and hot chocolate for breakfast?" he pleaded, "And then me and you and _Ada_ can all watch Power Rangers together. Please?!"

"Alright, that sounds good, but I need my knees back, sweetie," Anna laughed. Legolas immediately released her and bounded off to the living room. Anna cast her eyes towards Thranduil.

"I know I said no TV, but he apologized, so I think it's okay," she said.

"I will defer to your judgment," Thranduil replied, "It has worked well for him thus far."

The look she gave him took his stole his breath. "Thank you." Her words were sincere, and her evident happiness at both his approval and respect touched him. "Why don't you go join him, I'll be through in a minute," she smiled. Thranduil nodded and followed his son, who was now singing along with the television at the top of his lungs.

Anna joined them a few minutes later, several rounds of toast, a cup of hot chocolate, and two cups of coffee in her hands. Legolas insisted that they all sit on the couch together, himself sat between them.

Legolas looked thoroughly engrossed in the show, not paying any mind to what was simmering between the two adults beside him. He didn't seem to notice that Thranduil stretched an arm around them both. Or that his father's fingers alternated between tracing patterns on Anna's shoulder and twirling a loose strand of her hair.

But Anna did. She let out a slow sigh. What was she doing? She glanced at Legolas and then Thranduil. She had thought the day before that she could handle the heartbreak that was coming, that she would heal. But now, knowing more about Thranduil, feeling his passion and obvious affection for her, she just wasn't so sure anymore.


	13. Date

“_Naneth_, I want that one!" Legolas pointed excitedly to a brightly colored box with a cartoon character on the front. Anna glanced at it before looking back at the little boy sitting in the cart.

"No, sweetie, it's full of sugar," she pushed the cart further down the aisle and away from temptation. "And you get hyped up enough as it is." Legolas pouted and looked down.

"Look, be a good boy, and I'll get you some candy from the checkout," she tried to cajole the unhappy toddler, "But you're not having candy for breakfast." She felt Thranduil's presence at her shoulder and tried to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine.

"She is right, _ion_ _nin_." Anna didn't look up at him. The past few days had been torture. She didn't know what to do. Yes, it would be nice to have an adult relationship, someone she could talk to, and satisfy certain desires. But on the other hand, she didn't know if she could trust herself to maintain enough distance to not break her when they left. 

So, ever since the morning they had shared that passionate kiss, she had kept herself busy, pouring all her effort and attention into the farm and house. Legolas' room had never been so clean! 

If Thranduil knew what she was doing, he didn't say anything. But she couldn't always avoid him. There were times when it was only the two of them awake. She'd lost count of the number of times she had felt his fingers brush against the small of her back when they had cleaned up at night, the number of hungry gazes she had seen out the corner of her eye. She felt so torn.

Shaking her head, she continued down the aisle, Thranduil close behind as Legolas continued to plead for sugary chocolate-flavored cereal. She wanted to get out of the store as fast as she could. Thranduil was drawing a lot of interested stares from people. 

She didn't know if it was the height, the face, or the hair, but everyone did a double-take. Behind her, she heard a small crash as a third person pushed their cart into a display. She rolled her eyes. This was why she hated shopping. The number of people who stopped and cooed sweetly over Legolas was bad enough. Now she had to deal with dazed shoppers eye-fucking his father in the dairy aisle! 

She looked down and bit back a chuckle. No one was going to be cooing over Legolas today. His face was screwed up and red, he was verging on a complete meltdown.  
"I want the Captain cereal!" he screeched. And he was off! 

She'd let him sleepover at Ian's house once six months before, and apparently, her brother had no concept of what a healthy diet looked like. Now every time they went to the store, this is what happened.  
"I already said no," Anna said, turning down the next aisle.  
"But I want..."

"Legolas, if you do not stop, there will be no candy, and you will go straight to your room when we get home," she spoke firmly. Legolas flopped back in the seat and cried. Well, not really crying, it was that last-ditch-attempt-to-guilt-her crying, and it wasn’t going to work. Especially as she was momentarily distracted by Thranduil's hand appearing in front of her face holding a tin.

"What is this?" She tilted her head to the side so that she could read the upside-down label.  
"Err, chickpeas. You can use them to bulk out soups, pastas, oh, they make a good hummus." It wasn't the first thing he had randomly picked up and asked her about. He seemed satisfied by her response, and the tin joined the growing assortment of things he wanted to try. Anna could see her grocery bill skyrocketing during his stay. 

Various fruits, vegetables, and different kinds of pasta filled the cart along with her and Legolas' usual shop. She tried to be self-sufficient, but some things just wouldn't grow right in a vegetable garden in Washington State. So, she had let him add sweet potatoes, hot peppers, melon, and eggplant to the cart, along with an avocado. 

Personally, she only liked them in guacamole, but she figured she could put it on toast for his breakfast the following morning. He had also been fascinated by all the different kinds of cheese. Something that pleased Anna because she loved cheese too. Legolas wasn't fond of anything other than cheddar, so she finally had an excuse to buy different kinds. 

It took her a moment, as she tried to plan dinner for that night, to realize that Thranduil hadn't followed her as she continued down the next aisle, looking for the beans. She looked over her shoulder and saw him. 

He was stopped, talking to a rather attractive woman in a very short skirt. Anna was not happy about the pang of jealousy she felt. What did she care if other people threw themselves at him? The woman laughed and put her hand on Thranduil’s arm. Anna was pleased to see him subtly shrug it off and nod towards her and Legolas. The woman's face fell when she saw them. 

It was blatantly obvious who Legolas' father was, and for that, Anna was thankful. It would keep people, especially women, at a distance. Convincing Thranduil to wear a hat to cover his ears had been an ordeal, but he had done it. 

She couldn't risk someone finding out about them and what they actually were. Thranduil turned and headed towards them, beaming as Legolas held his arms out to him. The other woman scowled at Anna, who merely raised an eyebrow before turning back around, sighing deeply. 

Legolas was scooped out of the cart by Thranduil. He placed his hand over hers, "Anna, are you well?."   
"Yeah, fine," she said as they walked, "Just be careful who you talk to. You're already drawing a lot of attention." 

Thranduil quirked a brow just before another crash came from the left of them. A rather flustered middle-aged woman had pushed her cart into a display of tinned soup. She looked at Thranduil and turned beet-red before grabbing her cart and heading in the opposite direction.

"See what I mean?" Anna gestured toward the mess on the floor and shook her head. Thranduil merely smirked and stepped out of the way as two workers began collecting up the tins and resetting the display.

  
*

Chilli, Anna decided as she led Legolas downstairs, she would make some chili for her and Thranduil. The day had gotten away from them. After grocery shopping had come all the chores, cleaning out the pigpen, one of the shelves in the garage had collapsed, so that had to be fixed and cleaned up. 

Before Anna knew it, dinner time had come and gone. She had thrown together a quick meal for Legolas so she could get him bathed before bed. She would cook for herself and Thranduil later. Anna had just wrestled Legolas out of the bath and into his pajamas when she heard the front door open and close. 

Heading down the stairs, she saw Ian taking his shoes off.  
"What are you doing here?" she stared at him in total confusion. Ian looked her up and down.  
"You didn't forget, did you?" he asked in an accusing tone.  
"Forget wha..." she trailed off, "Oh no, no, not today. It's not today, is it?"  
"Yeah," Ian confirmed. 

"Fu...dgesicles," Anna ground out. She had forgotten.  
"Your first date in two years, and you forgot?" Ian asked, assuming an irritatingly parental tone and crossing his arms. Anna just shrugged.  
"Look, give Short Stack to me, I'll make sure he combs his hair," he reached out and took Legolas' hand. "You go upstairs and try to make yourself not look like you've been wrestling the pigs, the kid, and quite possibly Fabio all day."

"Nice," Anna mocked, "Look, is there any way we can give this a rain check."   
"Anna, you've been putting this off ever since you agreed to it," Ian groused, "You promised me when you moved out here that you'd try to get back out in the world. And besides, it's too late to cancel. He's on his way and will be here in twenty." Anna groaned.

"Legolas has eaten, but Thranduil hasn't," she started to pull items out of the refrigerator. Ian stopped her, "I do know how the oven and microwave work," he turned her towards the stairs, "I'm sure I can bake some pizzas without burning the house down."  
"Ian!"  
"Sorry," he said quickly, "Look, it'll be okay. You can go out, relax, and have an adult conversation about anything other than Legolas. Go on, git!" Anna groaned again, turned and stomped up the stairs.

How could she forget?! Ian had set this date up for her months ago with a colleague from his law firm. A nice, respectable man from a good family, who liked sports, cars and didn't mind that she had a child. She had promised, promised that her whole world wasn't going to just consist of Legolas and the farm. 

Deep down, she didn't want to go and was silently hoping Legolas would go into a complete meltdown, so she had an excuse to bow out. Except that wouldn't work. Ian knew how to handle Legolas, and Thranduil seemed able to calm him with a few simple words. 

She retreated to her room and shed the clothes she had been wearing that day. What the Hell did people wear on dates these days? She couldn't even remember the last date she had been on. Opening her closet, she browsed through. 

She had a lot of 'Mom' clothes, nothing particularly appropriate for a date. Sighing, she grabbed a pair of jeans and a black lacy top. She had never worn it; it had been an impulse purchase from before she had found Legolas; it still had the price tag on it. 

She quickly dressed, regretting it as she realized she wouldn't be able to wear a bra with the top. She tied her hair into a low knot at the back of her neck and dug through her meager make-up bag. She didn't have a lot, so she just put on a little something to even out her skin, a touch of mascara, and finally, a red lip. Another impulse buy. 

She figured she looked acceptable for a casual date. She grabbed one of her over-sized comfy cardigans and some black heels she hadn't worn since she was in high school. She also swapped her usual mom purse for a smaller one. She didn't need half the stuff she usually carried if Legolas wasn't going to be there. 

She took one final look in the mirror. And hated it. It wasn't her. But her mom jeans and plaid shirts weren't date attire. She heard a knock at the front door and felt her gut clench. She really didn't want to do this. She headed out of her room and to the stairs. 

She could hear Ian laughing and joking with the guy whose name she could not remember. Ian glanced up as she came down. "Ah, here she is, John, this is my sister, Anna. Anna, this is John." Anna plastered on a fake smile and tried to ignore the way his eyes raked over her from head to toe. 

"Hi, nice to meet you," she tried to sound enthused.  
"Well, darlin', Ian never mentioned that you were beautiful," John grinned. Anna tried not to grimace. Darlin? Really? Who says that? She got a weird vibe from this guy, the evening was definitely not going to end the way he wanted it too.   
  
"_Naneth_!” Legolas ran in from the living room, “_Naneth_, don't go!"  
"Oh, is this your kid?" John asked before bending down, hands on his knees, "How ya doin' sport?" Legolas turned away and buried his face in Anna's legs. "He's a little shy around new people." Anna lied. 

"Legolas, sweetie, it's okay. I won't be late, and you'll have lots of fun with Uncle Ian."  
"No go," Legolas protested, "Stay and play with me."  
"Come on, sport, you want mom to have some fun, right?" John reached to ruffle Legola's hair but stopped short. "Did he just growl?"  
"We'll play tomorrow, I promise," Anna laughed nervously as Ian leaned over and began extracting Legolas from her and lifted him into his arms. 

"Okay, be a good boy," she cooed, even as Legolas pouted, his eyes shooting daggers at John. "He not _Ada_!" Anna gave Ian a shocked look but managed to stutter out a quick "I'll come and give you a hug when I get home!" Legolas whined and buried his face in Ian's shoulder, his little shoulders quaking as he sobbed. Anna sighed and turned to John. If he was any kind of decent man, he'd wait until she had Legolas settled. 

No such luck. He was waiting by the door, checking his watch. She turned back to Ian.  
"I won't be late," she promised.  
"Don't rush back on my account, have fun!" Anna smiled uneasily, knowing he was trying to be encouraging and followed John. She glanced back once before the door shut.  
"Where's Thranduil?" she whispered. Ian just shrugged.

  
*

Anna had been right when she thought she had got a weird vibe from John. He seemed oddly fixated on the fact she was a single mother. He asked a few questions about Legolas before starting to almost-subtly-but-not-quite probe into her sex life or supposed lack thereof. 

  
Anna tried to change the subject. It was none of his business, and she had absolutely zero interest in the guy. He was of average height, dark hair, grey eyes. He could barely carry an intelligent conversation and hadn't read a book that wasn't to do with his career since college. He was nothing compared to Thranduil, she thought, a bit surprised at how quickly she caught herself comparing the two. 

At least he had interests beyond work and sport, but he couldn't seem to carry a conversation for more than five minutes before making some thinly veiled sexual innuendo. John seemed oddly fixated on her drinking too. 

It didn't take more than two sips for her to realize her requested diet coke came with a hefty dose of vodka. She fake-sipped it until he went to the bathroom, then she promptly poured it into a nearby potted plant. 

She needed an out because she got the feeling that this guy would not find her having a child asleep at home as a reason for him not to pursue his end goal. And there was no way in Hell she was letting that happen.

*

Meanwhile, back at the house, Thranduil had finally returned. While Anna had been bathing Legolas, he had heard something moving in the woods behind the house. Wolves. An entire pack of them. He had gone to ensure that they did not stray too close to the farm and threaten Anna's livelihood. Luckily, they had been some miles off and had passed by with no bother. 

For a moment, he was reminded of when he had first arrived in the Greenwood. It had been wild and savage, filled with feral beasts that obeyed none but the Wood Elves themselves. It had taken a century or more of watching and learning, boy eventually, he and his father were able to command even the most stubborn of beasts to their will. 

The Alpha wolf had wandered closest to the farm, searching for a safe way to lead his pack into where the sows were kept. The large male had turned his attention to Thranduil briefly before lowering its head in submission and leaving. The creatures here recognized his power instantly. 

Once he was sure they were gone, he had returned, only to find Anna absent and Ian lounging on the couch in the living room.  
"Hey Fabio, where have you been?" Ian asked before drinking from a glass bottle.  
"There were wolves nearby," Thranduil replied distractedly, "I went to watch them. Where is Anna?"

"On a date," Ian said, picking up the TV remote and flicking through the channels. "A date? I am unfamiliar with this term," Thranduil furrowed his brow. Ian looked up for a moment as if he was thinking.

"She's….out courting," he offered, "I set her up with a guy I know from work. She's been cooped up in this house too long, she needs to get out there and see people besides the other mommies down at the park."

"Courting?" Thranduil asked, his brows drawing together.   
"Yep," Ian nodded, "Adult conversation and hey, maybe she'll even get to play Jenga." Thranduil scowled.

“And is it expected for her to...play Jenga each time she goes courting?"  
"Expected, no," Ian said, "Hoped for, yes. Depends on how well they get along." 

Thranduil let out a small snort. This was all wrong. He wanted Anna back where he could see her. A sudden possessive urge filled him. When she came back, he was going to give her a reason to never leave him again.

"Thranduil, buddy, sit down and have a beer. You're really off-putting when you're just standing there." He lifted a bottle and held it out to Thranduil. 

With a reluctant sigh, he took it. "I have not had beer in some time," he said, sinking into the chair opposite Ian, "I prefer wine."   
"No wine, and do not tell Anna we've had these," Ian said sharply, "She doesn't allow booze in the house. If she knew, she'd flip. Ah, here we go." He set down the remote.

"This, Thranduil, is called a comedy. More specifically, this is American Pie." Thranduil turned his attention to the television just in time for a woman's moans to start. He must have looked disgusted because Ian laughed.

"What...what is this?" he spluttered. "Oh relax, it lasts less than a minute," Ian chuckled before taking a swig from his bottle. The image on the screen changed to a young man who appeared to be watching a woman in an intimate act. 

"What is he doing?" Thranduil asked, aghast that this passed for entertainment with his son in the house. "Watching porn," Ian answered.  
"Porn?"  
"Pornography," Ian offered. Thranduil quirked a brow. Ian paused for a moment.  
"Porn is...something showing sexual activity to arouse and excite people," he babbled, his cheeks turned pink, and he quickly broke eye contact.

"And does everyone indulge in this kind of sordid behavior?" Thranduil asked. "More than will admit it," Ian said.   
"Do you?"  
"Oh, come on, dude! I… I use it occasionally. At home. With my phone turned off and my door locked." Thranduil said nothing, he simply stared blankly. 

"So what? You guys don't have porn back home?" Ian asked a bit defensively.   
"We have no need for such things," Thranduil said calmly, secretly enjoying the man's discomfort. "If an _ellyn_ requires sexual stimulation, they merely find a willing partner."

"If only it were that easy," Ian muttered, "Can't tell you the number of times I've heard 'I'm tired,' 'I've got a headache,' 'I'm not in the mood' off a woman." Thranduil fought off a smirk.  
"I never said the partner would always be of the opposite gender," he said, biting back laughter as Ian choked on his mouthful of beer.

  
*

Anna felt relieved when John finally pulled onto the driveway. Home at last! She'd been counting the minutes until they had arrived back. Next time Ian set her up with someone, she was taking her truck. 

The living room light was on, but her heart sank when she saw that Ian's car was gone. Thranduil had obviously reappeared and convinced Ian his services were not needed. And with Ian gone, so was her shield from John's advances. Her mind raced. 

Maybe she could make it into the house before John caught up with her. If she made enough noise, it would wake Legolas, and that would be a good reason to send him packing. No such luck. 

Before she had even gotten her seatbelt off, John was there, opening her door. His smile was positively reptilian. She cringed when he offered her a hand. Reluctantly she took it and got out of the car. He shut her door but stood between her and home.

"I had a good time tonight, darlin'," he had started moving towards her.  
"Oh, yeah, that was a really nice place," she lied. The bar had been so-so, certainly not somewhere she would have gone to get to know someone. John stepped closer, backing her into the car.  
"So, are you going to invite me in?" he said softly, leaning in as if to kiss her. 

The sound of the screen door banging off the wall made them both jump. The hall light was on now, and Thranduil stood in the doorway, his face disturbingly serene.  
"Who the hell are you?" John asked as Thranduil made his way over to them.

"I could ask you the same question," he answered smoothly, "I am the father of her son." John instantly backed up a few steps, and Anna almost sighed in relief.   
"Her...oh, Ian said nothing about your baby daddy being back in the picture,” John spluttered, looking at Anna. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but John turned his attention back to Thranduil.  
"Look, pal, I got told you were long gone, okay," he spat, "You need to back off, she's moved on."  
"No, you need to back off," Thranduil growled, stepping closer, "She is clearly not interested in your advances. Why else would she be leaning as far away from you as she can?" 

John backed up a couple of steps, and Anna couldn't help but admire how Thranduil moved. Like a predator, daring its prey to run.  
"Did you think this night would end with her welcoming you into her bed?" Thranduil continued, "Whilst my son slept in the next room?"

"Hey man, I showed her a good time, if she's willing to offer as repayment..."  
"Repayment?" Thranduil bellowed, "This is not a transaction! A woman's body is not payment. If she chose to let you in, it would be from mutual attraction. Something I can honestly say is lacking between the two of you." 

Anna backed away from the car and towards the house as Thranduil pinned John with a look that she knew would feel like he could see every guilty secret he had. John blinked first and then ran back to his door, scrambling into the car and high-tailing it out of there. Thranduil snorted as he watched him go before turning back to her.

"Did it not occur to you to tell me you were leaving tonight?" he asked, his voice calm.  
"I honestly forgot all about it," she said, "And when Ian turned up, you weren't here. I... I didn't know where you were, and I didn't have time to find you."

"Did he force himself upon you in any way?" he asked, observing her reaction carefully.  
"Just his presence," she sighed tiredly, "Oh, and a triple vodka in my drink, which I didn't finish."  
"He tried to get you drunk?" Thranduil scowled.  
"Tried, and failed," she replied, "Trust me, I've dealt with worse men than him." She turned and headed into the house.

  
He followed her, closing and locking the door behind them as she shuffled into the kitchen to make some tea. While she waited for the water to boil, she turned and leaned back against the counter.

"Thanks for coming out and saving me," she offered him a genuinely relieved smile. "Were you in the living room? I didn't see you."  
"I was in Legolas' room," he answered, slowly crossing the kitchen to where she stood. 

"Is he up?" He was standing directly in front of her. She kept her eyes focused on the rise and fall his chest, not daring to make eye contact.  
"No, I was standing watch, as I have done most nights since I arrived here," he replied.  
"Oh," Anna questioned softly, "Why?"

"Because I did not trust a _firieth_ to care for him," he spoke sincerely, "I was mistaken."   
"What does that mean?" Anna asked, finally looking up at him. His eyes studied her intently, but he didn't speak. "_Firieth_? she cleared her throat softly and asked again. "What does it mean?"

"It means mortal woman," he replied, "Though I much prefer your name. Anna." He lifted one hand and brushed a loose strand of hair back. Her heart pounded at the simple touch.  
"Please tell me that man will not be coming here again," he asked, never taking his eyes from hers.

"I think you did a pretty solid job of scaring him off," she breathed, "Thank you. I tried to let him know I wasn't interested, but he didn't seem to care. He seemed to think that if I slept with him, he was doing me a favor." Thranduil’s jaw tensed and looked away.

"Yes, I have learnt much about your mortal mating rituals this night," he informed her, his objection evident. "Ian and I had an enlightening conversation about pornography." Anna winced.  
"Oh, lord, what did he tell you?"  
"More than I cared to know," he admitted, "But it has me wondering."

"About what exactly?" She regretted her question immediately.   
"Have you ever used such material?"  
"Excuse me?!" Anna spluttered before crossing her arms, "What kind of a question is that? And... it's none of your business!"  
"You are raising my son in your house," Thranduil's voice lowered dangerously, "That would make it my business."

"No, it wouldn't," Anna said firmly, "It would only be your business if we were in an intimate relationship, and we're not."  
"What if I wish that we were?" he murmured just loud enough for her to hear.

“Wh.. What did you say?" she asked, momentarily dumbstruck. Thranduil stepped closer, one hand gripping the counter at her hip, the other moving to cup and tilt her head back slightly.

"What if I wished we were far more intimate than we are," he whispered, "What if I wished to know every inch of your body, every pleasure. To know more than just a kiss." Anna let out a shuddering breath, staring up at him. 

Deep pangs of longing, she had never thought to feel again shook her. He lowered his head, breathing her name before catching her lips with his. She let out a low sigh as they parted for a moment before he retook them, pulling her against him. 

Anna's head swam. It felt heavenly to be held by him, to explore every inch of his hardened body against hers. She slid her hands up his chest, feeling the muscles beneath fabric and skin jump at her touch. He pulled her closer, and a hard length in his jeans jabbed her stomach. 

He groaned into the kiss, cradling her tightly against him as her fingers wove their way into his hair. His hands skimmed down her back, his tongue flicking against her mouth. She opened up, sighing deeply as he plundered her mouth. One hand drifted down over her rear, squeezing gently and making her moan.

"Anna," he growled when he pulled back for breath, his hand now moving to the button and zipper of her jeans. Short, feverish kisses were shared as his fingers made quick work of the fastenings and pulled them slightly open. He pulled back and looked down. Another growl came when he saw she wore the lacy undergarments that had once been the cause of so much embarrassment. 

He kissed her again, savoring the gentle tilt of her hips towards his hand. Yes, yes, perfect. Let her offer herself up to him, and he would give her every pleasure he could. He would start with his hands, then his mouth before driving them both to orgasm. 

He moved his hand and cupped her breast, running his thumb over it and feeling her nipple harden. Oh, how he longed to see them, he would strip her bare and admire her from every angle. He wanted to feel her softness and warmth; he wanted her to scream his name. He wanted her to be his. Only his. 

"Mine," he growled, pushing the thin strap of her top down her shoulder. Her body suddenly stiffened, and her soft sounds stopped. He moved to kiss her again but found her head turned, although she still clung to him.  
"Anna?" he questioned softly.

"I'm sorry... sorry, this..." she started, "This was a bad idea, I... I'm sorry, I can't." She pushed against his chest, and he backed away. He did not want her to feel forced; he wanted her willing. She didn't make eye contact as she straightened her clothes.

"I should probably go to bed anyway," she mumbled, eyes still downcast, "Mike's coming tomorrow to look at the pigs." Thranduil watched as she wrapped her cardigan tightly around herself and grabbed her purse, all but running for the stairs. Leaving him to stand alone in the kitchen, wondering what he had done. 


	14. Revelation

Thranduil was still sat at the kitchen table when Anna came down the next morning. He had passed the entire night playing what had occurred between them over and over again. He was confused, struggling to identify what had caused her to turn so cold and walk away from him. Thranduil shook his head and stared out the window. _Run away… _she had nearly flown from the room and his arms.

The moment had been hot, passionate, and he had been confident it would end with her coming apart in his arms, him claiming her as his and his alone. But no. Something had passed between them that he had missed, and she had withdrawn from him.

He could only mark it as having been the possessive growl he had uttered in the moment. Anna was strong and independent, that much he knew, she would not want to be claimed as though she were an object. But her reaction spoke of something that ran deeper than mere independence.

He might have expected her to put him in his place, but to push him away, to cower away from him in almost fear. Something else was at play here, and he was determined to discover it.

She didn't make eye contact with him when she came in, seemingly ignoring him in her quest to make her morning coffee. He noted that she was already dressed. A shield against him, no doubt. She would present herself fully covered rather than in her usual revealing nightclothes.

The tension was stifling as she waited for the coffee maker to do its work.

"Is Legolas awake yet?" he asked carefully, keeping his voice neutral and steady.

"Umm, no, he's still asleep." She stood with her back to him, toying with the empty coffee mug.

"I shall go wake him," he replied, standing, "He will be most disappointed to miss his morning entertainment."

"He's...he's in my bed," she said quickly, still not looking at him.

Thranduil frowned. He had not heard Legolas move in the night, only her. It dawned on him that she had retrieved Legolas and placed him in her own bed. To protect herself from whatever advances she imagined he would make. It felt slightly insulting for her to have thought herself in danger of him forcing himself upon her, but then he remembered. He was in a strange world, with even stranger customs.

He had already witnessed one man attempt to force his way into her bed, and perhaps the instinct to protect herself was stronger than what she knew of him.

“Very well," he replied quietly, "I shall go see that he is roused and dressed for breakfast."

He left the room, fighting every urge to turn back and look at her. He knew, though, if he turned, if he looked at her, the urge to draw her into his arms and kiss her once again would prove too strong to fight. No. He needed to keep his distance, let her come to him when she was ready, and tell him where he had erred. He had little doubt she would tell him, with great delight, what he had done wrong, but for now, he would endure the tension and disquiet.

*

Anna sighed as she poured her coffee. That had been unbearable! She could tell he was confused, and rightly so. For a brief moment, she had been ready to fuck him right there on the counter. But then he’d gone and said it, said one of the few words that still got to her.

_Mine._

Of all the words, it had to be that one. She sat down at the table and put her head in her hands. Here it came, all the horrible memories she had tried to put behind her,

_You’re mine. All mine. _

_You’re not going anywhere, you’re mine. _

_You’re mine, you worthless, broken little whore._

_No one else will have you, you’re mine._

It wasn't Thranduil's fault. He had no idea of what had happened in her past, of why she was really hiding out here on the edge of civilization. This was her issue to work through, she knew that, and she really didn't want to burden him with her problems.

She hauled herself to her feet, and headed to the kitchen dresser. She was in no mood for food, so she might as well balance her books like Ian was always badgering her to. And if yesterday's grocery bill was anything to go by, she needed to keep on top of it for the remainder of Thranduil's stay.

Anna opened one of the drawers in the dresser and pulled out the shoebox she kept her receipts and a calculator in. From upstairs, she heard the sound of Legolas chattering excitedly to his father. She had always thought him a happy child during his time with her, but since Thranduil had arrived, it had reached a whole new level.

She had never seen him so excited about everything. He was continually producing toys and books to show his father, explaining them all. He was far brighter than she had realized. He explained things she didn't even know he understood with such ease. She had also noticed that the two of them slipped back into their own language with growing frequency.

It had broken her heart a little when she had first found him. Once they learned to communicate, she had soon discerned that besides his name, he didn't remember anything of his life before that day. He couldn't remember his mother or father, or where he was from. Only his name, and the word _naneth_.

Thranduil said someone by the name of Galadriel had sent Legolas here, and she had to wonder if this person had anything to do with Legolas having no memory. Not that the damage was permanent, it seemed. The moment Legolas had touched Thranduil, it appeared to have all come flooding back.

He remembered his father; he remembered his home and his language. He still had made no mention of his birth mother, but from what Thranduil had told her, she had been absent for half his life and had been distant before that. It hurt to think of Legolas being so alone before. With his father ruling a kingdom and his mother disinterested, she wondered what his life had been like.

She shook her head. It didn't matter now. Legolas had two years of memories of her now. Of a mother who had loved him with her whole heart. Happy memories that would see him through to adulthood. By the time they left, he would have three.

Glancing back at the dresser, she knew there were stacks of photos from the last couple of years in there. She would make him a photo album! To take home with him so he would always know that no matter how separated they were by worlds, time, and fairy circles, she still loved him. She would always love him.

With the right care, the album would last until he reached adulthood. Ian was sure to have numerous photos too. She could make him a whole stack. She smiled and turned her attention back to her receipts and began tapping numbers into the calculator.

She heard the pair come down the stairs with the subtly of a herd of stampeding elephants as she sipped her coffee and wrote down figures. Legolas was asking for toast, something Thranduil seemed happy to make for his son himself.

When they came into the kitchen, Legolas threw himself at Anna, talking about some dream he had had. He spoke of a lady who looked happy when she was looking at others, but he added morosely, sad when she looked at him. He then rattled off a quick description of the lady.

Thranduil dropped the plate he was holding listening as Legolas spoke, thankfully only onto the counter with no damage.

"Go watch your cartoons," Anna said quietly, giving him a kiss on his forehead. "Your _ada _will bring your breakfast through in a minute.” Legolas instantly forgot about the dream and bounced off into the living room. Once she heard the theme tune for _Dexter’s Laboratory_ start, she looked over at Thranduil.

"You okay?" she asked. He seemed to have recovered himself. He nodded silently.

"He remembered her, didn't he?" she asked, "Imloth?"

"He described her perfectly," Thranduil spoke quietly, his voice distant.

"Did that actually happen?" Anna asked, "She looked happy to others but sad when she looked at him?" Thranduil nodded once more.

"I don't think he knows that she was his mother," Anna said carefully, "And that's probably a good thing. A random stranger he can forget about." Thranduil's head tilted as he thought over her words.

"Perhaps you are right," his voice was still quiet. "Let Imloth's ghost be exactly that, a ghost to him. I know he would much prefer you to be his mother."

Anna smiled a little before looking back at the numbers.

"Is everything well?" Thranduil asked but did not turn to face her. Anna wasn't sure what topic he was speaking of, but she knew she wasn't ready to discuss what had happened the night before.

"Err, kind of," she admitted, "Just so you know, there's a man coming by today to look at the pigs, he has a boar he wants to breed with one or both of them. He's a nice guy, his wife makes the best cakes." She started to ramble, wanting to put him at ease that this man wasn't going to be as lecherous as John was.

"I've just got to explain to him that I need to bump my prices up a bit," she said, "It shouldn't be a problem; my girls are worth far more than I charge anyway. It's just to cover the extra expense of feeding an extra person."

At that, he turned and came to sit beside her at the table. "I have no wish to inconvenience you or be a burden, Anna." His blue eyes searched for hers, but she didn't look up. _She is still afraid to look at me..._ he thought sadly.

"Don't worry about it," Anna answered and focused on putting everything back into the shoebox, "It's not like you can just go out and get a job to pay your way."

The doorbell rang as she was putting the box away. Thranduil went back to the counter to finish buttering Legolas' toast.

"I'll get it!" Legolas shouted, running for the door. Anna quickly hurried to catch up with him. Thranduil kept his attention on Legolas' breakfast, but one ear turned towards the door.

"Hi, Mike!" Legolas chirped as he opened the door.

"Well, hello there, little master," the man replied, "My, aren't you gettin' big! I shall have to get my Winnie to knit you another sweater come wintertime." Legolas giggled.

"Hey, Mike," Anna greeted him.

"Hello sweetheart, how are you keepin'?"

"All good," she answered. Thranduil heard the muffled sound of a hug taking place but kept his eyes fixed on the plate in front of him as Anna invited Mike in. They chatted as they walked, with Anna making inquiries to Winnie, Mike's wife.

Mike regaled her with some tale of Winnie taking a fall and 'busting her knee.' He stopped speaking suddenly when they entered the kitchen.

"Now, who's this?" Mike asked as Thranduil turned around.

"This is Thranduil, Legolas' father," Anna said, her hands tucking into her back pockets, "He's come for a visit." She was bracing herself for awkward questions.

"Oh," Mike hummed, "Well, young man, you lost a good 'un here."

"Mike!" Anna reprimanded him.

"What?" he protested, "You said he was long gone, and it's true. You're a good woman, Anna, and he's a fool if he doesn't see it."

"I do see it," Thranduil replied, "She is exceptional."

"_Ada_, is my breakfast ready?" Legolas asked.

"Yes, little master," Thranduil replied, prompting a chuckle from Anna and a deep, booming laugh from Mike.

"C'mon, Mike, the girls are outside," Anna said, gently pushing his shoulder and urging him towards the back door. Legolas took the plate, scampering off. Thranduil caught Anna's eye as she passed. She quickly looked away, a faint pink flush across her cheeks.

She thought of it, he was sure. Their moment last night when she had hovered on the precipice of surrendering herself to him. He would deny himself no longer. He wanted her.

*

“So, that's Legolas' dad, then?" Mike remarked casually, looking away from the pigs and back to Anna. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Mike..." she started.

"Now, look, I know there's a reason you two ain't never stayed together, especially since there's a kid involved," Mike said chided. "I know you, Anna, I've known you since you only came up to my knee. You wouldn't break something like that without reason. But the way he looks at you...there's something there, and honestly, it would do you some good to have some adult company...besides your idiot brother. And it would do little man good too, to have his daddy around."

"We'll see," Anna sighed, "He's here for a long while anyway."

"Good, now, to my second and third favorite ladies," Mike chuckled, turning back to the pigs, "I'll give you two hundred for every boar, and a hundred for every gilt."

"Two-fifty for the boar," Anna countered, "And one-twenty for the gilts." Mike whistled.

"Your prices have gone up," he said.

"I got an extra mouth to feed, and you damn well know my girls give you piglets worth every penny," Anna gave the old man a no-nonsense look, "And, you can use both this year."

"That's what, eighteen, nineteen piglets?" Mike said, scratching his chin, "Say nine of each…. just a little over three thousand dollars. Not bad." Anna glanced over his shoulder and spotted Thranduil watching from the backdoor, leaning against the frame. Mike looked back and gave Thranduil a cheery wave.

"Protective isn't he?" he chuckled and looked back to Anna, "He does know your grandpa, and I were good friends, right?" Anna shrugged. He did now, anyway. She knew Thranduil had heard every word that had passed between the two of them even from across the yard. She watched as Thranduil's head turned at some noise, and he disappeared back into the house.

*

Her grandfather, of course, that would explain the man's familiarity with Anna and Legolas. He believed Legolas to be his friend's great-grandson. He felt more at peace with leaving Anna in the man's company now he knew their lifelong acquaintance. Especially when the doorbell rang, and he heard Legolas once more bounding off to answer it. He was just opening the door as Thranduil reached the hallway, revealing…

"Beth," Thranduil recognized the blonde-haired woman. She was stood with her daughter in front of her.

"Please, tell me Anna didn't forget about the playdate we arranged," Beth smiled, a slight wiggle to her shoulders, no doubt in an attempt to show sexual interest once more.

"Of course not," Thranduil lied, "She is just conducting some business, but I will happy to watch the children."

"Yay!" Legolas cheered, grabbing Susie's hand, "C'mon Susie, let's go look at the pigs!" The pair ran past Thranduil.

"Do not let them out," Thranduil called firmly after them. Beth was still looking him up and down.

"I bet you have quite the appetite," she purred. He knew that tone well, he had heard it on many occasions, but he had never been as repulsed by it before as he was now.

"Anna is a splendid cook," Thranduil overlooked the double meaning of her words, interjecting his own. "Anyone who samples it would find themselves ravenous for more."

Beth ignored the innuendo and continued. "I can't even imagine how she affords to feed you, not on the pittance she makes from her pigs.”

Thranduil felt a clench of guilt. He had seen the grocery bill and knew it to be exceptionally higher than previous ones, no matter how much Anna had tried to hide it. Beth tilted her head, seeming to pick up on his discomfort.

"Oh, so it is getting more expensive," she offered, "You know, I have a way you could make a little money to help out, a little...job."

"Really?" Thranduil quirked a brow, "I am interested." Beth beckoned for him to come closer, and so he leaned in, cautiously, as she still seemed overly flirtatious.

"I can be very generous," she whispered, drawing the words out and leaning a little too close to his ear for his liking, "How about... " Thranduil pulled back, not sure of her meaning.

"I shall consider it," he said, schooling his face and voice to remain neutral.

Beth smiled, winked, and turned to leave. And Thranduil was glad of it. It felt wrong for this woman to be completely throwing herself at him. He closed the door and headed back into the kitchen. Anna reappeared with Mike, the two of them seemed to have negotiated a good deal, both very happy. Anna turned to him.

"I saw Susie, did Beth leave already?" she asked. He nodded stiffly. Her brow furrowed.

"Did she hit on you again?" Anna asked, her voice flat and unnerving.

"I got to make tracks," Mike said hurriedly but with a grin on his face. "I'll see myself out. I'll call next week about bring Brute over."

"Yeah, good to see you, Mike," Anna said. Mike nodded to Thranduil before heading out the front door. Anna folded her arms and moved closer, standing mere inches from Thranduil.

"She hit on you, didn't she?" Her tone brokered no argument.

"She was...suggestive..." Thranduil cleared his throat. "However, she did offer me a means of aiding in the expense of my being here."

"A job?" Anna sounded dubious.

"She offered me...a blow job." He tilted his head, obviously hoping that Anna would elaborate on the type of employment he would be engaged in.

Anna's face turned bright pink. "Oh, for fu..."

"Thranduil, that's not...it's not an actual," she looked away and let out an exasperated breath.

"Your world has a great many things I do not understand Anna," Thranduil continued awkwardly. He quickly gathered that Beth's offer was not actual employment, "Please. Explain to me, this… _blow job_ so that next time, I can rebuff her suitably."

Anna met his eyes, her gaze trailing him up and down.

"A... blow job is...a sexual act," she said, visibly uncomfortable. Thranduil leaned in and lowered his head.

"Tell me," he whispered.

"It's...umm…. it’s oral sex," Anna said quietly with the faintest hitch in her voice. She was imagining performing such an act on him, he was certain. He could feel his own heart begin to race, watching her struggle to remain composed standing before him. She moved away, putting a few more inches of space between them.

"It's when..." she said before going silent. Thranduil turned to look at her, leaning in even closer.

"Tell me," he repeated, using just enough authority to prompt her to speak but not frighten her again.

"It's…. it’s when a woman takes a man's... cock in her mouth and..." she didn't get to finish the sentence. He couldn't help himself. He turned her head to face him and kissed her hard. His fingers traced along her jawline as she whimpered into the kiss, her hands coming to rest on his chest. He pulled back, their warm breaths ghosting across each other's skin.

He was vaguely aware of the phone ringing, but his only thought was to kiss her once more. The answering machine, which had startled him the first time he heard it, kicked in.

_Hey, it’s Anna. I can’t answer the phone right now, please leave a message._

He was lost. Lost and drowning in her eyes, losing himself in the swirling mix of green and blue. Her chest was heaving, her pupils were widening. This time. This time he would let her lead the way and take everything she would give him.

“Hello Anna,” a man’s warm and almost hypnotic voice came over the answering machine. Anna blinked suddenly, turning to look at the machine.  
“It’s me, my love. I’m in town, and I think it’s time we talked.”

The moment was gone, Anna's attention was fixed on the machine. Another man?! How many were hiding in the woodwork?! Thranduil felt a faint simmer of rage, but he quickly squashed it. He had been in her life barely two months, he had no right to demand to be the only male.

"Who was that?" he asked carefully, keen to know who else might be in his son's life.

"Andrew," Anna's voice sounded far away like she was dreaming.

"Andrew?" Thranduil repeated. He had heard no mention of an Andrew before. Anna looked back at him; her expression was devoid of any emotion.

“My husband.”


	15. Chase

Anna wrapped the cardigan more tightly about herself and lifted her cup of tea off the counter. Through the kitchen window, she scanned the tree line, searching for any sign of Thranduil.

Nothing.

He'd been gone for hours. The sound of him slamming the back door as he left had broken her out of whatever daze or trance, she had sent herself into when she heard Andrew's voice. It was easier that way, to switch off, to pretend it wasn't really happening. And even after five years, the instinct for survival was thoroughly ingrained.

_"We need to talk_."

Yeah, she needed to talk to Andrew like she needed a hole in the head. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since Benji had died, there was nothing to say. Of course, Thranduil wouldn't have seen it that way.

Legally, Andrew was still her husband, and she got the impression that Elves didn't view marriage the same way as humans did. Lord knows what he thought of her at that moment. They had grown so close, the passionate exchanges, coming oh so dangerously close to tumbling into bed with one another.

She knew what he must think of her now... trash, a whore... unworthy.

She heard the faint patter of feet behind her and turned. Legolas was stood there, looking very forlorn, with Susie close behind him.  
“_Naneth_,” he said with a little sniffle, “Where’s _Ada_? Is he coming back?" It broke Anna's heart to see him. He thought his father had abandoned him again.

"I don't know, sweetie," she said, setting down her cup and kneeling on the floor, "Come here." Legolas surged forward, and Anna gathered him up in her arms.

"It's okay, baby," she said softly, "I'm still here, and I will never let you go." She kissed his head.

"I miss _Ada_," Legolas mumbled into her shoulder, "I want him to come back."

"I know," Anna said soothingly, "I know. C'mon, let's go call Susie's mom to come fetch her, and then we'll start dinner, okay?"

"We make some for _Ada_ too?” Legolas chirped.  
“Yes, we’ll make some for him too, and he can eat it when he comes back,” she said softly.

*

Thranduil didn’t look where his feet were taking him, his mind was racing.

_Husband._

She was married. And he had intruded upon that sacred bond. How could he have been so foolish! Of course, she was married! Her lost son had not sprung into being by her own sheer force of will, he had to have a father!

Perhaps he had been deceiving himself. To think he might find some comfort and warmth whilst he was trapped in this world, waiting for the Fairy Circle to be restored. He had had no choice but to leave the house. He couldn’t be near her, look at her.

He had felt his rage building, and he was not going to expose Legolas to it or Anna. So he had stormed out, perhaps slamming the door a little too hard as he left. Since then, he had been walking, his mind trying to process what he had learned.

His heart ached at the thought. Anna was married. She had a husband who was returning to her. He was no better than Colavas, tempting a married woman away from her husband, a husband she had borne a child with.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings for the first time. He was standing in the center of the Fairy Circle. The cursed thing that had caused all this mess. That had allowed Galadriel to send Legolas far away for some purpose he still did not fully understand. That had brought him to this world with all its deafening sounds and offensive smells, and women who looked and acted so soft and pliant but were no better than Imloth, the wife that had forsaken him!

_Curse her!_ Curse the elleth he had offered his heart to, only for her to cast it into the ground and crush it beneath her foot! He had gathered the pieces, held them close, and protected them ever since. Certainly, there were many companions willing to lay with the King, happy for him to seek his physical release with them... but none ever got so close to his heart as she did.

_Anna._

He had tenderly made repairs to his fractured soul and offered it to her. Once more, he was met with rejection.

He felt the anger swell in his chest again.  
“Curse them,” he growled before looking to the sky, “Curse them both! Imloth and Anna, breakers of heart, of spirit! If I never love another again, let it be known, it is by their doing. False Queen and conniving firieth! Curse them both!”

He should never have bothered trying to allay Anna’s fears that first day. He should have just taken Legolas the moment he laid eyes upon him. Then maybe, just maybe, he could have returned home before the blasted wild pig had broken the circle. Once on the other side, he would have burnt it to the ground, razed it, salted the earth so that it might never grow again.

She had broken his heart; he could feel it shattering even now as tears slipped from his eyes.

She had broken his heart.

*

Anna glanced at the kitchen clock. It was almost two in the morning, and still no sign of Thranduil. She had called Ian before dinner, telling him about Andrew's phone call. Ian had told her not to worry, she had Fabio after all.

She couldn't bring herself to tell him what had happened. That Thranduil had stormed out after discovering she was married and not returned. Legolas had cried himself to sleep, crying out for his father to come back.

Anna put her head in her hands and tried not to cry. It had been heartbreaking. The look on Thranduil's face when he had heard the word husband, and Legolas' expression when he realized his ada wasn't going to tuck him in that night, had been shockingly similar.

Betrayal and heartbreak. No amount of gentle lullabies could soothe the distraught child, so Anna had lain in his bed, cradling him against her chest as he wept, sobbing for his father.

She hated to admit it, but she didn't feel safe in the house now. Not without him there. His presence she had found imposing and intimidating at first was now a comfort, a balm that let her rest at ease. He was there to protect them both. But now, he was gone. And she felt exposed, vulnerable. What she wouldn't give for him to walk back through that door.

She'd throw herself into his arms, apologize over and over for not telling him, telling him why Andrew's name was never spoken in her home. She would tell him everything... every dark little secret she had if it meant he would stay.

She wouldn't hold back anymore, she would give him everything he wanted, anything. If he wanted to sleep with her, she would do it. She needed him. She had never thought she would _need_ a man ever again, but right now, she needed Thranduil.

She looked to the window. He was out there, somewhere, alone in the dark. She just hoped he was safe.

*

Thranduil walked through the night, circling around Anna’s property, trying to clear his head and ease his heart. He would have strayed further if it were not for Legolas. Whilst he still wholeheartedly trusted Anna with Legolas' care, he did not trust himself with her.

If he returned too soon, he did not know how he would react. He knew that he would never raise his hand to Anna or harm her in any way. But could he refuse to acknowledge her presence? Could he put up boundaries between them until the day he took his son and left... or would he succumb to his desire, his need for her?

His heart broke at the news of her marriage, yes, but deep inside, he still felt a yearning for her. He did not trust himself. He did not trust that he would not crawl into her bed and make her his, so she and her husband would know the pain he had felt when Imloth had forsaken their marriage vows for another ellon.

The moon rose and made its way across a starless sky. When the dawn shone over the tree line, he knew he must return. If only for Legolas' sake. If he did not go back soon, he never would. He would hide in the trees, like a coward, and never face the one who had broken him.

And so, he made his way back, the early morning dew on the grass soaking his boots. The air bristled around him. Something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong. He emerged from the treeline and looked down at Anna's small home. His heart sank, he could feel a presence he could not name. Had her husband come already?

Thranduil stepped closer, hearing raised voices. Yes, a man's voice, and not Ian's. He walked more quickly. He would not allow this in front of his son. Then it came. A scream. Anna. He began to run for the back door. She sounded in pain.

"No! You leave him alone!" he could hear her screaming, "Leave my boy alone!" Legolas was in danger, and Anna was trying to defend him. He shouldered his way through the back door just in time.

A man, somewhat older than Anna, raised his hand and slapped her across the face, sending her to the floor. Thranduil's heart seemed to miss beats as he watched Anna fall. The man, Andrew, scowled and looked at her in disgust.

"Pathetic, broken little whore," he spat. He drew his foot back and kicked her in the ribs. Anna yelped in pain. Andrew seemed not to notice Thranduil. He turned his attention to a closet built into the kitchen wall.

"Where are you hiding him?" he growled, reaching for the door.

Thranduil, unable to move or make a sound from shock, could hear Legolas whimpering from inside the closet. He was about to step forward when Anna suddenly leapt to her feet and threw herself onto Andrew's back, pulling his hair and digging her nails into his face.

"Bitch!" Andrew bellowed. He was far stronger than Anna, but she was putting up a valiant fight. She was thrown from his back and over the kitchen table. Andrew turned his attention from the closet and lunged at Anna, kicking her over and over again. She was coughing and fighting for breath. Thranduil surged forward, his lips drawn back in a feral snarl.

Andrew raised his fist to strike her, but Thranduil caught his wrist before he could hurt her again. Andrew's head spun around, and he stared in shock at the man holding him in a vise-like grip. Thranduil drew himself up to his full height.

His rage had returned, but this time, it was focused on this so-called man who had dared to endanger his son and harm Anna. The moment his hand had connected with Anna's face, Thranduil no longer cared that Andrew was Anna's husband.

He forsook his right to call her his wife the instant he laid hands on her. Thranduil suspected this kind of treatment had all begun a long time ago. An age seemed to stretch out between them whilst Anna attempted to crawl across the floor towards the closet, sobbing from the pain.

Andrew shoved Thranduil away, breaking his grip, and running for the front door. Thranduil glanced at Anna, who was opening the closet door and gathering a frightened and crying Legolas in her arms. She had protected him, all by herself, because he had been too wrapped up in his own feelings. The sound of the front door opening drew his attention back to Andrew, and he gave chase.

The man was stronger than he looked, and he was fast for an edain, he would give him that, but even with a head-start, he would be no match for the Elven-King.

Alas, no sooner was Thranduil on the front porch, than he could see Andrew sliding into a vehicle. Still, he gave chase, following the car as Andrew spun gravel backing out of the driveway and onto the road. Thranduil chased him for a mile before the car became too fast for him to follow, disappearing down the road.

Thranduil held back the urge to growl. How dare he! How dare that man come into the home where his son lived and terrify both Legolas and Anna! He understood now, he understood why Anna had never mentioned her husband before.

As far as Thranduil was concerned, Andrew was no husband to Anna. _Anna!_ He turned back towards the house. She had been injured and cradling his crying son when he had commenced chasing the man. He needed to get to them quickly.

This anger wasn't just because Legolas had been threatened, he was just as angry that Anna had been in danger. Forgotten were the feelings of betrayal. She had been in hiding all this time. Yet still willing to put a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, even knowing that doing so would put her at risk.

She had been downtrodden, abused as was now clear, and still, she had stood up to him when he had not shown her genuine respect. This was dangerous territory. He wanted to welcome her back into his heart once more. But could he? Would she accept him after the selfish way he had acted?

Letting himself back into the house, he could hear Anna moving upstairs. His sharp hearing pinpointed that she was in Legolas' room. Her gentle voice was singing a lullaby. He felt the tugging sensation at his heart as he thought of her, holding his son in her arms, comforting him, singing him to sleep.

Legolas adored her, that much was obvious. The singing stopped, and he heard her quietly leave Legolas' room and pull the door mostly closed. But not all the way, never all the way. He waited for her as she descended the stairs, looking at her feet. She was three steps from the bottom when she finally looked up and stopped, eyes locked on him.

"Anna," he spoke gently. She looked scared like she was going to bolt.

"I am sorry for leaving as I did," he made sure to keep his voice soft, "It was wrong, I should have been here, to protect you, and Legolas. That man lost any right to call himself your husband the day he raised a hand to you." He heard her breath catch in her throat, and she looked down again.

"Anna," he spoke again, reaching out and touching her cheek. She looked up, and he saw the tears in her eyes. Her lips were slightly parted, and, despite the cut to one, all he could think about was revisiting the kiss they had shared the day before. He needed to feel her body mold to his once more. He leaned in and brushed his mouth against hers. He paused, their noses touching, breath ghosting over each other.

"Anna," he breathed.

She crushed her mouth to his, and he enveloped her in his arms. His mind went blank save for the feel of the warm, soft, feminine body in his arms. Her gentle curves fit as perfectly against the hard planes of his warrior's body as her lips did against his.

He swiped his tongue against her mouth and couldn't help but growl when she opened up to him, welcoming the intrusion. He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Briefly, he thought to take her upstairs, but that risked waking Legolas, so instead, he carried her to the living room.

There, he lowered her onto the sofa though he never broke the kiss. Her scent clouded his mind, all he could think of was her. Her hands slowly skimmed down over his shoulders and chest before starting to twist the buttons on his shirt loose. When her hands touched his skin, he had to pull back to catch his breath.

Her touch was like fire, heating his blood in a way he thought he would never feel again. He looked at her for a moment, noting her parted, panting lips, her pupils blown so wide, he could barely see the bewitching color of her eyes, the way her chest heaved as she looked up at him. He kissed her again, savoring the clash of tongue and teeth as their hands began to practically tear each other's clothes from their bodies.

The soft thumps of the clothing hitting the floor was drowned out by the roar of blood in his ears. His pants were open but not yet off when Anna shrugged off the last item and stood exposed before him. He pulled back once more. Too long had he only beheld those hidden treasures with sneaked glances and tantalizing peeks.

He let out a low growl, his hands sliding up her sides to cup her breasts with a gentle squeeze. She let out a little gasp, and he pulled her in close again, savoring the feel of her softness against him.

"Anna," he murmured against her lips. She didn't respond except to push his pants and underwear from his hips.

The moment slowed, the two of them taking a moment to simply look at each other. Thranduil couldn't take his eyes from her. Every part of her was soft and round, curving gently. He caught her mouth again, lifting her up once more. Turning, he seated himself on the couch, Anna straddling him.

He ached for her, the feel of her heat mere inches from him was almost too much. He had dreamed of this, but he did not want to rush her. He settled for running his hands over her body, discovering the softness of her skin, what made her gasp into the kiss, which touches made her hips tilt towards him.

It surprised him when she raised herself up a little and reached between them. The feel of her fingers closing around his length made him groan and pull away from the kiss. Her beautiful breasts seemed to float before his face, and he leaned in to kiss one.

She sighed with each press of his lips to the delicate curve tracing slowly inwards towards her nipple. In return, she eased his cock along her folds, helping him become slick from her arousal. Finally, she lowered herself, taking his hard member into her warmth.

He closed his mouth over her nipple and gently suckled, making her cry out as her hands wove their way into his hair. His name came out in a sigh, and she began to move, slowly rocking her hips, their skin creating delicious friction against each other.

Her head tilted back, the ends of her hair dancing against his fingers as she began to ride him harder. The world seemed to melt away. All that existed was the two of them, the scent of her skin and the feel of her body opening and tightening around him. She let out a little whimper as her head came forward to rest against his shoulder. She moaned and moved faster, harder, already so close.

"Anna," he whispered. She turned her head slightly, eyes still closed, but lips parted, gasping for breath. He kissed her, his hand tangling in her hair to pull her head back slightly. Her hips shuddered against his, and he gently thrust upwards, sending her catapulting over the edge. Her whole body stiffened in his arms as she rode out her orgasm.

Once over, he wasted no time twisting them, so she was laid out beneath him. He lifted her legs so they were against his chest, her ankles on his shoulders. She felt so delightfully tight around him, he knew it would not be long before he too tumbled over that peak.

He pushed into her, the sound she made sending little flashes of heat through his body. Seeing her there, so vulnerable and at his mercy in that moment... the possessive urges he had felt before came to the forefront of his mind.

_His. His firieth. His Anna._ _His to hold, to protect_. He could feel it, the sensation shooting down his spine. He leaned back, allowing her legs to slip from his body, and pulled out of her. A few strokes of his fist around his throbbing length made short work, and he watched as his seed spurted out onto her skin. Her eyes closed, and for a moment, she lay there, chest heaving as they both fought for breath.

"Anna," he said gently, moving to lean over her when she abruptly rolled away, disentangling herself from him. She rose from the couch and quickly gathered her clothes, refusing to look at him.

"I... I should go check on Legolas," she muttered, running from the room and leaving Thranduil alone, again.


	16. Decision

Thranduil sat at the kitchen table, a long-abandoned and cold cup of tea before him. He had waited for her, for Anna to return. But it had soon become apparent that she had no intention of returning to him. He should have stopped, he thought as he replayed the previous nights' events.

Even though she gave herself willingly to him, he should have refused her. She was not in the right frame of mind to make a reasonable decision. Guilt gnawed at his gut. He had not been thinking straight. Rage and pride and those damn possessive urges had taken control.

He had witnessed that _firion _brute lay hands on Anna, knock her to the floor, beat her, and still, she had fought to protect his son. He knew, _he knew_ she was in no state of mind... It had been the kiss that had thrown control entirely from his hands. He could still feel her lips on his, her body, soft and wanting, pressed against his.

He let out a low groan remembering how she had stripped away her clothes and stood before him bare, needing him. _His firieth_.

He rose from the table and finally made his way up the stairs. He was only halfway up when he detected the sounds of gentle breathing, both Anna and Legolas. It broke his heart to realize she had once more taken Legolas into her bed... to keep him at bay.

The door was open when he reached the top of the stairs and stopped to peer inside. Legolas was clinging to Anna, his small arms entwined around her neck. Anna, too, held the child safe in her arms.

Thranduil wanted to join them, to slide between the covers and pull them both into his arms. To promise to always be there when they needed him. To let them both, know that he was there and that he would protect them. His gaze fell to Anna once more.

An ugly purple bruise covered her eye and crept across her nose, where Andrew had struck her. She shifted in her sleep and winced; she was in pain. The thought knocked the breath from him. Even suffering in pain, she had sought comfort in his arms, had coupled with him.

He closed his eyes, remembering how she had looked up at him. The need, fear, desire all reflected so painfully bare before him. She shifted again, and he thought her about to wake. He quickly stepped away and back down the stairs. He would not have her wake and find him watching her from the doorway, uninvited. Unwanted.

Once downstairs, he heard her rising from the bed, speaking softly to Legolas before making her way out of her room. His breath caught in his throat when he heard her come down the stairs slowly. She limped into the kitchen, keeping her eyes downcast. Her face was marred with pain as she moved. He could bear it no more.

"Anna," he spoke gently, making his way cautiously towards her. She recoiled slightly, and he slowed. She had been beaten badly by a man she should have been able to trust, a man who should have protected her, cherished her. He could not expect that she would not fear him as well.

"Anna," he said carefully, holding one hand out to her. She looked at it before lifting her gaze to meet his. He could not hold back the look of grief when he saw the true extent of the damage done by Andrew.   
“Anna,” his voice shook when she looked down, would not look at him. She did not step back when he moved forward and gently placed a hand on the side of her face.

"I should have been here," he murmured, his voice breaking. "I am sorry."

"It's not your fault," she whispered, "I should have told you about Andrew." Thranduil shook his head and lowered his brow to rest against hers.

"I do not understand," he said softly, "You are so strong...I do not understand how you could allow a man to do this..." Anna shook her head.

"I'm not that strong," she cut him off, "And I definitely wasn't back then." A small sob escaped her.

"I don't want Legolas to see me like this," she sniffled, her voice shaking.

"I can help," he whispered, "If you will let me." There was a moment of silence.

"Please," she said finally, looking up at him. His breath caught again. The trust he saw reflected in her eyes; it was almost more than he could endure.

Thranduil silently pressed his fingers against the bruise on her face and closed his eyes. What he felt as he healed her, shocked him. He expected to sense past injuries, to feel the potential years of violence, but not to this extent.

He stepped closer to Anna, pulling her against him. She came willingly. He could not bear to not hold her as he healed her. He could feel the numerous past fractures around her eye sockets. Her nose had been broken at least twice, her jaw no less than three.

"Anna," he breathed, feeling tears form and slip from his eyes. The bruise on her face was now healed. He cheek soft and pink. He ran his hand down her neck and over her sides, following the trail of healed injuries.

She had been throttled, her right arm dislocated, almost every rib cracked over the course of a decade, her left wrist had been broken. Every injury shouted out to him, some so horrific, Thranduil wondered if Andrew's intent had been to kill her.

The beating the day before had been nothing compared to what she had suffered over the years. When the final injury had been healed, he raised his hands to cradle her head to pull her close enough to press a kiss to her brow. She sobbed again, her head lowering to his shoulder, and he held her, feeling her body shake as she cried.

It all made sense now. Her moments of silence, the swift changing of the television, it was not random as Thranduil had first believed. It was to protect herself. He knew all too well the power of a painful memory. While flesh would mend, a damaged spirit could bleed for a lifetime.

Raised voices or apparent violence made her recall her days living under Andrew's tyranny. So instead, she removed herself from the situation, retreated into herself for a moment so that she might emerge unscathed. A survival instinct.

He held her gently, his chin resting on the top of her head as she clung to him. "Anna," he said again when she quietened, "Anna, talk to me, please." She pulled back and looked up at him.

"I need to know," he said, "What happened last night… I need to know... did you give yourself for _me_ or was it because you felt... you believed that you were indebted to me..." Anna hesitated, her beautiful eyes studying his face. She looked unsure.

"Anna, I have greatly desired you for some time," he admitted, "But I do not want you to come to me because you feel that you have some debt to pay. I want you to come to me, willing and freely because you desire me as I do you." His fingertips traced along her jawline, feeling her tremble slightly in his arms. He leaned in and kissed her gently.

The soft thump of small feet hitting the floor came from upstairs, and he parted from her, striding over to the table and retrieving his cup from it. He knew that she did not feel comfortable showing affection in front of Legolas, and he understood why. He would respect her wishes.

Anna did not move from where she stood as she watched him take the cup to the sink and rinse it out. She still did not move as he swung a running Legolas up into his arms, taking his son back upstairs to dress before breakfast. When he came down, she had begun busying herself with breakfast, and it almost felt like life had returned to normality once more.

*

Anna chewed her lip and stared at the vegetable patch before her. She should start weeding, but all she could think about was Thranduil’s words earlier that day.

_I want you to come to me, willingly, and freely._

It felt...strange, to hold that kind of decision in her hands. She had never had that power before. With Andrew, and she hated thinking about him and comparing him to Thranduil, she had never had that control. It had always been on Andrew’s terms when he wanted it, the way he wanted it.

She had found herself praying for him to stay out all night, to leave her in peace. Sometimes he had, other nights he had returned home drunk as all Hell, and violent to boot. And Heaven help her if she displeased him in some small way.

If she recoiled at how he smelt, flinched when he raised his hand. Then it was all the worse. She had hoped when she found out she was pregnant with Benji, he would change, but he had not. She sighed and trudged forward. She might as well work while she thought everything over. No sense in wasting daylight.

*

“Hello? Short Stack? Fabio?” Ian’s voice echoed down the hallway, drawing Thranduil’s attention from the picture Legolas was currently drawing.  
“Wait here, _ion nin_," Thranduil said softly when the child moved to rise. Legolas nodded and resumed his coloring, humming a tune Anna often sang to him.

Thranduil rose from his seat, casting a glance out the kitchen window. Anna was currently working on the vegetable patch outside, lost in her thoughts. He turned and headed into the hallway to meet her brother.

Ian grinned cheerily when he saw him.

"Hey Fabio, how's it going?" he said brightly. His smile faltered as he took in Thranduil's angry face. The man didn't even have a chance to react before Thranduil had him pinned against the wall.

"I would like a word with you," Thranduil snarled, "I would know why you allowed your sister to be married to such a monster." Ian swallowed.

"Andrew's been here?" he asked, looking up at Thranduil. Thranduil nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Ian's, his grip like steel.

"Yes," Thranduil hissed, "When I was not. I returned in time to find him beating your sister and threatening the same upon my son. Now I ask you again. Why did you allow it?"

Ian looked down, and then with surprising strength, grabbed Thranduil's wrist and pulled his hand away from his throat.

"I didn't," he snapped, "But there wasn't a lot I could do to stop it." He glanced towards the kitchen, but Legolas remained at the table.

"It's a long story," he huffed, rubbing his hand over his face.

"I have time," Thranduil stood straight, crossing his arms over his chest and peering coldly back at the man. Ian sighed.

"Not here," he nodded to the front door. Thranduil moved towards it.

"Legolas, your dad and I are just going into the front yard," Ian called.

"O-tay!" Legolas called back.

Once outside, Thranduil noticed that Ian had the same hunched-over look that Anna did when she was nervous.

"It started over twenty years ago," Ian said quietly standing beside Thranduil, "Our mother disappeared. We'd come here for the weekend to see our grandparents. She went for a walk and never came back.

The police reckon she ran off with a lover but...I doubt it. After she left, our father... he got nasty. He drank a lot, lashed out at us. I did my best to protect Anna, but I was just a kid myself, just turned thirteen. One night, it got too much, and I called Child Protective Services. We got removed from Dad's care, and we ended up back here with our grandparents."

Thranduil said nothing, watching as some of the tension left Ian's body.

"My grandparents always believed in us, told us we could be anything we wanted," Ian continued. "I wanted to help kids like us, to help families, so I went into law.

I went to school for eight years to become an attorney. It was the other side of the country, and I couldn't get back very often, so Anna and I used to talk on the phone. A few years in, the phone calls started to peter out, eventually to once a month.

I figured she was an adult now, off living her own life, training to become a teacher. When I passed the Bar exam, I moved back. I found out she had gotten married the day she turned eighteen to a man I didn't even know and that she had never even mentioned.

It was eight months before I got to see her in person. She stood in her living room window, waving to me, with a black eye, a busted lip... and a pregnant belly."

"He beat her when she was with child?!" Thranduil asked incredulously, horrified at the notion. Ian nodded, dropping his head.

"I went away to make a better life for myself," he said quietly, "She ended up marrying someone exactly like our father. God, I was such an idiot. She called me the day before yesterday, saying Andrew had been in touch. I just ignored it; told her she would be okay because you were around." Another pang of guilt welled up in Thranduil's gut.

"I was not here," he admitted, "We had... a disagreement, and I left to collect myself. When I returned, Andrew was already here."

"Thranduil, I won't ask you to stick around to protect my sister, but please... don't leave Legolas. Andrew won't hesitate to use him to manipulate Anna, and you and I both know, she would do anything for him, even put herself in harm's way."

"I know," Thranduil replied, "She fought valiantly to protect him from Andrew, even though she was greatly overpowered." Ian gave a short laugh. "That's Anna, she'd throw herself in front of a train to save a kid, any kid, but for Legolas... for him she'd die before she'd let Andrew get his hands on him."

They stood there in silence for a few moments, looking out over the peaceful countryside around them.  
“I could teach her,” Thranduil said after a while, “How to defend herself.” Ian looked him up and down.  
“I think she’d let you too.”

*

Anna looked down at the coffee cup in her hands. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been able to relax at this time in the evening. Thranduil had taken care of Legolas all day, encouraging him in the various activities Anna usually did. Painting, reading, doing puzzles, they had even made dinner together.

Leaving Anna time to think and observe. Watching Thranduil be a father, without her interference, had been both eye-opening and beautiful to see. His whole demeanor was different from how it had been the day he had first walked into her house.

He smiled, he laughed, and he clearly adored his son. Now, he was bathing Legolas and getting him ready for bed. And Anna was sitting in the living room, alone with her thoughts.

If she was honest, she was powerfully attracted to Thranduil, she knew that. And she wanted to know what it was like, how it felt to be in a healthy, adult relationship. With Andrew, it had never been healthy.

She had been sixteen when she had met him. Ian had been across the country at college, she had no one to watch out for her. The minute she had turned eighteen, Andrew had taken her to the courthouse and married her. And that had been it for eleven years.

She had lived under his rule for more than a decade, suffering violence at his hands and too afraid to leave. Five years after escaping him, she had worked through a lot of what had happened. The only thing she hadn't conquered was the fear of being intimate with someone else. At least until Thranduil had arrived.

She hadn't planned on having sex with him the night before, it had just sort of happened, and she had found herself on edge that morning. She hated it, the fact that she had expected the same reaction from him as she had seen from Andrew. She had expected anger, that she had dared to climax first and then run from him.

Instead, he had been calm and kind, he had healed her injuries. He had been gentle with her and understanding. Hell, he had even stepped into the role of partner, taking on his share of looking after Legolas and helping around the house more than he had before.

She looked up at the ceiling. She wanted to know what it was like. How it felt to have someone appreciate and care for her. To experience a normal sexual relationship for the first time in her thirty-four years.

He was leaving next Spring, so she didn't need to worry too much about the future. She could move on, start afresh. She couldn't stay here now that Andrew knew where she was, but she was confident the cretin wouldn't come near whilst Thranduil was around. She set her cup down and stood up.

This was it.

Time to take the bull by the horns.

Or rather, the Elf.


	17. No Strings

Anna paused outside the door to Thranduil's room. The courage she had mustered downstairs rapidly disappearing. _Was she insane? She was actually considering this! _The silence of the house echoed around her, and she was certain she could hear her own heart beating.

With her last scrap of courage, she raised her hand and knocked on the door. It moved; Thranduil had not shut it completely. Pushing the door the rest of the way open, she found him sitting on the edge of the bed, his long legs open, his arms resting on them. He looked up at her, and a gentle smile spread across his face.

"Anna," he breathed before standing up. She swallowed nervously as he approached her, covering the space between them in two smooth strides. He stopped before her, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. It was such a tender touch; she felt her eyes flutter shut. She sighed softly and allowed herself to lean into the warmth of his hand.

He lowered his head, carefully brushing his mouth against hers. He felt her lower lip tremble. "This is only temporary, yeah?" her eyes opened, searching his, "Just until next year, and then you're gone, no strings attached."

"As you wish," he said softly. His agreement reassured Anna, he wanted nothing permanent, no commitment from her. She could do this, no obligation, nothing permanent. She leaned in and kissed him.

His arms encircled her, strong and safe. His tongue slipped between her lips, and she welcomed it, leaning into him completely as he guided her into the room with him.

His mouth moved to her jaw, his hand slipping into her hair briefly before his legs connected with the bed. He sank down to sit, leaving her stood before him. His hands slid to her waist, pushing her t-shirt up to expose her stomach.

He leaned in, trailing his tongue lightly over her skin, pressing warm kisses over her belly before nipping her hip. Anna could not help but run her hands through his hair, admiring how silk-like and yet strong it felt.

Her fingers brushed the tips of his ears, and he groaned, moving to stand once more. He kissed her hard as he moved to unfasten her jeans. Anna tilted her head to one side, and he trailed kisses along her jaw again.

From the next room, she heard Legolas stir and pulled back. Thranduil swiftly pulled her back to him. "He will not wake," he assured her, "Not until morning." He pushed her jeans down over her hips and let them fall to the floor. He moved to sit on the bed, guiding her to join him. After a little rearranging, he sat fully on the bed, with Anna in his arms straddling his lap.

He kissed her again, moaning slightly into it when her hand came up to stroke the tip of his ear again. His free hand ran down over her body, tracing every curve then slipped between her legs. She whimpered into the kiss as he traced over her through her panties. She could feel the smirk on his lips as he moved his fingers, finding just the right place to tease her.

Her hips tilted towards him as a new sensation overtook her. Her whole body clenched, and her lips parted to fully accept his sensual kiss. His fingers hooked into her panties pulling them aside, exposing her flesh to his touch. It did not take long before she was writhing in his arms, growing slick beneath his skillful touch.

Her hips rolled in rhythm with his fingers, almost desperately trying to take his digits within her. She whined in frustration when he pulled them away whenever she came close. Another smirk. She pulled from the kiss breathing hard. He raised his hand and licked his fingers, his eyes fixed on hers before reaching to stroke her again. This time, the tip of his middle finger slipped inside her.

She cried out, her body arching in his arms. "Yes!" she sighed before pulling him into another kiss. He slid his finger inside her completely, grunting at how tight she felt around him. He moved his hand slowly, his thumb brushing over her clit. Bracing her feet on the bed, she was soon thrusting in time with him, desperate to feel the bliss of ecstasy he had made her feel the night before.

She could feel it, burning, building inside of her, climbing higher and higher towards the precipice. Her whole body jerked and stiffened when she tumbled over. Thranduil slowed his ministrations and watched her in the throes of passion, her head thrown back, lips parted, and eyes clenched in bliss... she was beautiful.

As her breathing returned to normal, he lowered her, so that she was lying on her side. He pulled away and stood to remove his own clothing. He ran his hand along her thigh before sliding her panties down her still trembling legs. Anna's eyes shot open when she felt him lift her leg and put his mouth to her.

She let out a throaty moan as she felt his tongue slide against her and heard his own deep groan of satisfaction. Her hands moved to clutch the back of his head as he lay on his side, pleasuring her.

She hadn't expected this. She had expected him to roll her over, one way or the other, and take her. Instead, here he was, laying in a somewhat awkward position, focused on her pleasure. She bit back a scream when she felt his fingers probe her once more, joining in the actions of his tongue as he tasted her.

He was saying something between licks, but it was in his own language. Anna could not understand the words, but she understood the tone, which was one of worship. He was praising her, praising her body. She wondered if he was saying he enjoyed her taste or merely describing what he wanted to do to her.

All Anna knew was that he was focussing more on her pleasure now than Andrew had done in all the long years of their marriage. This, she realized with startling clarity as she felt herself climax again, was part of a healthy relationship, mutual pleasure.

When her body relaxed once more, she felt heavy, ready to sink into the bed covers, and never emerge. She throbbed between her legs, warmth spreading through her. She felt Thranduil crawl up her once more, wiping his chin.

He pushed her leg to one side, exposing her to his gaze. Anna immediately stiffened, turning her head into the mattress, his action dragging up bitter memories. Thranduil pulled back and, to her complete surprise, moved to lay down beside her. He drew her against his chest, his fingers gently stroking her cheek. Anna turned to look back at him.

"I am patient," he said gently, "I can wait."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I just..."

"You do not need to explain," he hushed her, leaning in, and kissing her forehead, "Will you stay here tonight?" Anna nodded. Even if she wasn't ready for him to take her again, fully, she knew how it felt to be held in his arms, and tonight, that was what she needed.

With some difficulty, she managed to lift herself and crawl towards the pillows. Her entire body felt like her bones had turned to jelly. Thranduil looked rather proud of himself as he settled into the bed beside her, pulling the covers over them both. "Sleep well," he murmured in her ear. Anna thought to reply, but sleep beckoned her into its embrace before she could.

*

Anna woke with a start just before dawn. She could feel Thranduil's arm across her waist, a dead weight suggesting he was asleep still. She looked back over her shoulder and saw his ethereally beautiful face was relaxed; his eyes shut. His breathing was slow and shallow. She had not had much chance to admire him without his notice before, so she was going to take this opportunity.

He was flawless, his cheekbones and jaw had perfect angles, and she had never had the urge to kiss someone like she did him, especially with his lips slightly parted. He seemed so restful, she wondered if he had held another like this since his wife had left him, or was she the first? She was confident that he would have had sexual encounters since but a companionable relationship? She doubted it.

He shifted in his sleep, and she felt his groin brush against her leg. A certain part of him wasn't asleep, she thought as he rolled onto his back. The sheets slid down, exposing his chest and stomach to her. She bit her lip, and admired him.

Anna resisted the urge to trace the gentle shadows of his muscles with her fingers. He wasn't exactly a bodybuilder, but she could tell he was strong without being overly built.

Andrew was, for lack of a better word, ripped. His vanity was off the charts, and he devoted countless hours to maintaining an overly muscled form. Hours that Anna had spent cleaning up whatever latest injury he had doled out and prayed that he would go elsewhere that night.

Thranduil was different. He wasn't vain, his demands had subsided over time, and he was gentle. With her, with Legolas. She had even seen him gently pat one of the pigs a few days before. She smiled and slid closer to him, removing her t-shirt as she went.

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his exposed neck. He groaned low in his throat, and his arm twitched as if to pull her in closer. She kissed him again, enjoying the groans and sighs coming from the giant Elf.

She carefully lifted herself up. When Thranduil had pushed her leg aside the night before, she had frozen. She had been reminded of the many times Andrew had forced her. But this? This was her choice. He had been patient and shown her how a woman should be treated. It was time to repay him. She placed her hands on his chest and lifted her leg to straddle him.

His eyes opened instantly, burning with desire for her. She didn't say anything, slowly lowering herself to sit astride him. He groaned at the feel of her heat against his flesh, his hands skimming up her legs to her hips. She rocked against him, biting her lip at feeling him solid and warm beneath her.

"Anna," he breathed as she leaned over and kissed him. She licked at his lips, and he opened to her. Their tongues tangled, her fingers digging into his chest, her hips grinding lightly against his hard length. Her heart pounded, and she felt herself grow slick.

She could feel him pressing himself against her folds, desperately seeking entry, but allowing her to move as she wanted. Finally, she reached between them, taking him between her fingers and moving him into place. He moaned out loud as she sank onto him, his fingers squeezing her flesh.

Bracing herself on his chest, she began to ride him. She had never done anything like this before. Never taken charge and initiated sex, certainly never been on top before. It felt good, in so many ways. To be the one in control, to have this powerful being at her mercy.

Thranduil raised his head, pressing kisses to her breast between his deep, throaty moans. His fingers tightened on her, his hips thrusting up to meet hers, his mouth closing over her nipple. She could feel the tension building in his body along with hers.

He was so close. He swiped her breast with his tongue, she clutched his head, her fingers brushing against the pointed tips of his ears. He cried out, his hands pulling her down onto him, and she felt him throb deep within her. It felt incredible, to feel him lose control and spill inside her, because of her.

His whole body was trembling, his cock twitching inside her, his breaths shuddering as they left him. His head rested against the top of her breast, and he clung to her, fighting to catch his breath. Anna slid her arms about his neck as she felt his hands move to encircle her waist. He lowered her down onto her side, his body still joined with hers.

He looked at her, and she could see the ice blue of his eyes were barely visible around the edge of his pupils. "Anna," he leaned in and kissed her deeply. She lost herself in his touch for a moment, enjoying the feel of his gentle hands running over her skin.

Then she felt it. The sun rising over the horizon and spilling through the window. Any minute now, it would be up, and soon they could expect the morning wake-up call from that damned rooster. The night was over, but it was sure to be one she would never forget.


	18. Heal

Anna leaned on the porch railing, watching Legolas run gleefully around the front yard, chasing a butterfly. There was a sense of peace over the house that she had not felt since before Thranduil had arrived. She felt a slight twinge of guilt over bailing out of his bed before the rooster crowed that morning, but he understood.

Anna could barely explain to herself what it was that was happening between herself and Thranduil. Fuck buddies? Friends with benefits? Explaining it to Legolas would be a minefield.

She heard the front door shut, and Thranduil appeared at her side, coffee in hand. He handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said quietly as she took it. He leaned on the rail next to her, watching his son run about the garden giggling happily. He chuckled and casually took Anna's hand in his own.

"We...we need to talk," she said after a few moments of companionable silence, "About last night...and this morning."

A faint smirk crossed Thranduil's face.

"I greatly enjoyed our dalliance," he said softly.

"Yeah," Anna admitted, "Me too. Is...is it something you want to continue?"

Thranduil's gaze darkened, and he moved closer.

"Yes," he whispered, he reached to trace her lower lip gently, "I have not stopped thinking about the feel of you in my arms all morning." Anna felt her face heat up and flush red.

She had to admit, she was preoccupied with thoughts of him as well.

"So, we keep going?" she asked in a cautious tone, "Whenever one of us has...an itch that needs scratching..."

"Anna, I want to show you how you should be treated," he said gently, "I want to try to heal the scars that man left on your heart. I want you to be able to find and feel love again."

Anna's eyes snapped to his.

"Not with me, but when Legolas and I have gone, I would feel more at ease knowing you would be able to let another into your heart, to find a new family."

Anna nodded. His words were touching.

"And what about you?" she asked, "What do you get out of this?"

"The same," he answered, "Imloth may have not harmed me physically, but my heart had not begun to heal until I came here. Until I saw you and Legolas."

There was a faint hitch to his voice. He seemed smaller, vulnerable. Anna leaned in and was rewarded with a brief brush of his lips against hers before he withdrew. Anna turned her attention back to Legolas, who was bouncing excitedly.

"I can see Uncle Ian car!" he cried, pointing off in the distance and looking back at her. Anna smiled and sipped her coffee. Perfect.

*

“Has something happened?”

Ian's question caught Anna off guard, and she looked up from the latest batch of farm receipts.  
"Huh?"  
"There's something different," Ian stated, "Like, there's always been this stand-off between you and the big guy, and now it's like its gone. Like you've been a family for years." Anna looked at him, her jaw slackened. She wasn't sure how to answer him.

"Kind of feel like I'm intruding," Ian chuckled before looking back at the paperwork. "Sis, you're gonna have to take on some summer work."

"What?" Anna asked. Her mind had processing what he had said about her and Thranduil.

"You're going to be about three thousand short over the third quarter, even with upping the prices of the pigs," Ian told her.

Anna groaned and tilted her head back.

"Look, it's okay, we can fix this," Ian assured, "We can call Bubba's folks, see if they need extra hands over the summer." Anna sighed, dropping her paperwork on the table and putting her head in her hands.

"Is something wrong?" Thranduil's deep voice cut through the silence.

"It's nothing to worry about," Anna said instantly, "I can sort it."

"Anna, I want to help you if I can," he clarified, coming to stand beside the table.

"You might be able to," Ian said with a smirk, "Ever done farm work, Your Majesty?" Thranduil raised an eyebrow, and Anna bit back a laugh.

“Thranduil, we're heading for a little financial hardship," she explained, "We may be able to get some extra money from working with Bubba's parents. If you would help, we could build up our savings to sustain us through the winter." His blue eyes fixed on hers, and her breath caught in her chest.

Just a few hours before, he'd been beneath her, moaning with her as they fell into ecstasy. She smiled softly, her eyes fixed on his, and saw he also had a smile on his face.

"Of course," he replied before taking a deep breath and rolling his shoulders, "I can make short work of anything these mortals consider hard labor."

There it was, the old familiar arrogance, although she could tell in that moment, it was all bluster. Ian pulled a face that suggested he didn't.

"I stand corrected," he muttered, "Okay, so you'll call Robbie and Lynne tonight? Get it all sorted?" Anna nodded.

"Thanks for doing these, Ian," she said, "I know you're not an accountant."

"What are big brothers for?" Ian asked as he stood up and passed her the papers, "Besides cutting heads off your Barbie dolls."

"Jerk," she muttered. Ian flashed her an evil grin before turning towards the front door.

"Later, Fabio," he said, patting Thranduil's shoulder, "Hey, short stack, I'm leaving!"

Thranduil slid into the chair beside Anna while Legolas ran to say goodbye to his uncle. He made an effort to at least look like he had not seen the candy Ian slipped into his son's trouser pocket.

"You know I will do anything I can to help you," he said softly to her, his hand brushing against hers, "I have placed a great burden on you."

"Thranduil, don't worry so much," she sighed, "I was gonna find things kinda tight this year anyway. Your being here is nothing we can't handle."

"I wish there was a way I could compensate you for caring for Legolas," he sighed, " Within my vaults, I have vast quantities of rare gems and precious metals. If I could find a way to send..."

"Thranduil, that's enough," Anna said, placing her hand over his and gripping firmly, "I won't accept it. If I find anything coming through that fairy ring, I will just send it straight back. Legolas brought light into my life; I thought I'd never see again."

Her breathing hitched, and he could see tears forming in her eyes.  
"I don't know if Ian told you, but...after Benji died, I didn't want to live anymore," she spoke in barely more than a whisper, "I wanted to die. And then I found him, and I found a reason to live. He gave me my life back. That's more than enough."

Thranduil leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead, gently brushing the tears away. He whispered something softly to her that she didn't understand. Her hand came up to rest on his wrist, the two of them not moving until Ian called out to say goodbye. Then Anna rose from her seat, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze as she passed.

*

“_Naneth_?" Legolas said as Anna pulled his pajama top over his head.  
"Yes, sweetie?"  
"Why were you sleeping in _Ada_’s bed last night?”

Anna froze for a second. He must have gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night, or thought to climb in with Thranduil himself.

"Ummm," she was at a loss of how to answer him.

"Were you scared the bad man was coming back?" Legolas looked up at her with his big blue eyes. Anna bit her lip and sank to her knees in front of him.  
"Yes, I was," she admitted, "I was scared he would come back, hurt you." Legolas threw himself into her arms, hugging her fiercely. She wrapped her arms around him.  
"It's okay," she whispered to him.  
  


“I no let the bad man hurt you again, _naneth_,” Legolas mumbled, “I a Prince, I keep my oats.” Anna smiled as he tripped over his words.

  
“Oath, _ion nin_," Thranduil's voice came from the doorway behind them. Anna looked back at him. He moved towards them, crouching down on one knee next to them.  
"We shall both keep your _naneth_ safe," he said before reaching out and tickling Legolas' neck.

Legolas instantly giggled, and Thranduil swooped him up into his arms. Legolas squealed as Thranduil threw him into the air.

"Don't get him too riled up," Anna laughed, "Or he won't sleep." Thranduil lowered Legolas into his arms.

"He will sleep," Thranduil said firmly before turning and placing Legolas on his bed. Anna moved over to join them, covering Legolas with the blankets and tucking him in.

"_Ada_, if I have bad dreams, can I sleep in your bed too?” Legolas asked, pulling his toy Elk closer.  
“Of course, _ion nin_,” Thranduil replied, leaning in and kissing Legolas’ forehead, “But I would prefer that you have pleasant dreams.” Legolas’ eyes began to droop.  
“Okay, _ada_," he mumbled around an enormous yawn.  
  


And with that, the little elfling was asleep. Anna silently followed Thranduil out of the room.

"Did you do something to him?" she asked as she pulled the door partially shut behind them, "He never just went to sleep like that before." Thranduil gave her a half-smile.

"Yes, it is an ability most Elven parents my age have," he said, "We can make our children sleep fast and deep at a moment's notice."  
"Sounds like something most human parents would kill for," Anna laughed.

"It was borne out of need," Thranduil said solemnly. Anna frowned.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It was when Doriath fell," he answered quietly, "Our enemies were at our door. We had to move fast and silent. A near impossibility with young children. Parents made their children sleep, so they could carry them and run, to survive."

His face had fallen. All the joy he had shown when he had been holding Legolas was replaced with a look of loneliness and heartbreak she had only seen before when he spoke of his wife.

He had mentioned Doriath previously and how he had lost his mother there. She stepped forward and drew him into her arms. If the point of their relationship was to help heal each other, this was that moment. He hesitantly returned her embrace, turning his face into her neck.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" she asked, "We don't have to do anything, just be company for one another." She felt him nod his head, and her heart skipped a beat.

For so long, she had listened to her counselor go on and on about how healthy relationships had mutual care beyond sex, and now she was actually experiencing it. She smiled and held him all the tighter. The last trace of the mighty King was gone. He was just Thranduil. Her Thranduil.

*

Sleep did not come easy to Anna. Although Thranduil's breathing had long since evened out, she still lay awake. Her heart ached. It ached because she could see in Legolas' eyes he was terrified of Andrew coming back. It ached because of Thranduil's telling of his people escaping Doriath but losing his mother.

She turned her head to look at him. He lay on his side, one arm draped over her waist, the other stretched out under her pillow, his large hand just visible beneath it. His eyes were closed, and his face seemed peaceful.

Even in the moonlight, she could still see the pink scars dotted around his upper arms and body. They seemed to change, vanishing and reappearing over time, like stars twinkling in the night sky. If he had some ability to make Legolas go into a deep sleep, she wondered, maybe he had the ability to hide the scars left by the dragon. She almost jumped when the fingers of his outstretched hand touched her palm.  
  


  
"Why are you awake?" he murmured the question, his eyes still closed.  
"It's nothing," she replied, "Just thinking about what Legolas said earlier."  
"You need not fear that snake returning," he said, still seemingly asleep, "I will ensure he regrets it if he does." His fingers linked with hers, and his eyes opened.  
  


Without another word, he rolled her into his arms, holding her against his body.

"You have my word," he vowed, his voice a low rumble in his chest. His head lowered, chasing her mouth as his fingers wove into her hair. He caught her, kissing her gently until she sighed and relaxed into him.

The last two nights had been incredible, and yet she still ached for more of him. This wasn't like her, and she turned her head away from him.

"Anna, do you not want me?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

She looked back at him, his blue eyes darkened by his wide pupils.

"I do," she confessed, "But..." She looked away, flushing red at the thought of being intimate with him once more.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of," he coaxed gently.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, "I have...sixteen years of him telling me to be ashamed and that feeling desire was...unnatural, all that going around in my head."

"Then listen to me," he said, his voice firmer. The King was back.

"He is the one who should be ashamed, that he could neither see nor appreciate the beauty of his wife," he continued as he rolled her onto her back, “He could not see what I do, what I have felt.”

Anna's heart sped up when he cupped her breast through her tank top.  
"An exquisite creature, with carnal needs and desires,” he kissed along her jaw, “He never got to see what I saw this morning. A beautiful woman, coming apart in the throes of ecstasy. He never felt what it is like to be deep inside you when you do." He kissed her hard, and her back arched into him involuntarily.

"Forgive my coarse language, my lady," he whispered against her throat, "But you were so tight, I almost spilled inside you in that first moment. It took all of my will to hold back, to bring you pleasure too."  
  


It was Anna's turn to kiss him hard, her head rising from the pillow as she wrapped her arms about his neck. Her hips rolled towards him, and he groaned. He pushed gently against one leg, and she willingly opened up for him.

He swiftly settled his body between her legs, following her deeper and deeper into the kiss. His hands pushed up her tank top until it bunched beneath her arms, exposing her breasts. Only then did he break the kiss, diving down to kiss and lick at her exposed flesh, reveling in the moans of desire she made as she bucked against him.

She pushed against his shoulder, and he allowed her to roll him onto his back. She knelt beside him, her eyes raking over his form and finally settling on the bulge in his pajama pants. His breathing hitched as she pushed them down roughly just enough, so his length sprang free.

She didn't give him time to react, she just leaned in and took him in her mouth. He moaned and one hand fisted in the sheets. Anna glanced at him sideways and saw his eyes were closed his mouth open. She swirled her tongue around his head and heard him whisper her name.

She lowered her mouth more, taking more of him in, finding immense satisfaction in the sounds he made. She gripped him at his base, squeezing and stroking him as she suckled on his flesh.

He grunted and muttered in his own language, one hand still fisted in the sheets, the other striving to reach for her. He throbbed between her lips, and she hummed in pleasure. The vibration made him gasp, his cock swelling in her mouth. Her hand left his shaft, slipping between his legs to cup and gently caress the soft sac there. He let out a long, low moan.

  
“Anna!” he choked out, “Anna...please, have mercy.” She pulled back and smiled. He didn’t seem so cool and calm now, he was a writhing mess.  
“Has no one ever done that for you before?” she asked, pulling her tank top over her head and dropping it onto her pillow.

"Not... like that," he gasped, his chest heaving for breath, "Anna..." He watched her intently as she pushed her shorts down. She could see him barely restraining himself from just grabbing her. She twisted herself and kicked her shorts off, leaving her in only the warm socks she slept in.  
  


She beckoned for him to follow as she moved to lay down in the middle of the bed, and follow he did. He crawled over her body, littering her face and jaw with kisses, caressing every inch of exposed flesh before pushing his pajama pants down even further. He settled between her legs and rocked his hips into hers.

She gasped as he nudged into her entrance. Feeling bold, her heart racing, she leaned into his ear and whispered, "You're bigger." Thranduil responded with a growl and thrust again. This time he filled her, crying out. His fingers linked with hers, and he lowered his head to rest against her brow. He began to rock into her, kissing her mouth, her jaw, her neck whilst whispering to her.

He cooed to her in his own language, but some words she understood, particularly when he muttered, "so tight" into her ear. Something about those two words, spoken so gutturally sent jolts down her spine, and she lifted her hips to meet his thrusts.

His hips ground against hers, sending rushes of heat straight to her core. With each thrust, he moved faster. His hands withdrew from hers as he kissed her deeply before raising himself up to rest on them, altering the angle he entered her. He struck something deep inside of her, and she cried out.

"Don't stop," she pleaded with him, "Don't stop." He smirked and began pounding into her with long even strokes. Anna felt her toes start to curl.

"Thranduil," she panted, and he kissed her. It was with such tenderness that she could not help but shatter from it.

She cried out, her back arching into him, sinking onto him as much as she could. He too roared, and she felt the hot rush of him cumming inside her. His hips followed hers back to the mattress, pressed as far inside her as he could go while he twitched and throbbed, and kissed her. When he finally pulled back for air, his eyes remained fixed on hers, and Anna was struck once more by the beauty of this Elf. At that moment, she never wanted to let him go.  
  



	19. Together

Anna wasn't sure what to make of the look on Maria's face.

"Well, I must say, the change in your demeanor is astounding," the counselor said, leaning back in her chair, "For as long as we've been seeing each other, you have been closed off and defensive. But now, you're more engaging, more amenable. May I ask what's changed?"

"I ...um...I've been seeing someone," Anna stuttered, "It's nothing serious, but it feels nice to be seen as a woman, not a sister or a piece of meat."

"Is this the man you referred to on your last visit?"

"Yes," Anna admitted.

"That's a big step for you, Anna," Maria stated, "I know you had issues with your husband."

"He's nothing like Andrew," Anna smiled, "He listens to me, he wants me to be happy. He cares. He brought me a cup of coffee without me, even asking."

"He sounds like a prince," Maria said.

"More like a King," Anna grinned, "I um... I also saw Andrew a little while ago."

"And how did that go?"

"I got closure," Anna admitted, "He's still the same horrid bastard he was when we were married. It was freeing because Thranduil... the new guy, he saw it and he stood up for me. For the longest time, I wondered if I overreacted to Andrew's behavior or imagined it. But now, I know."

"Well, I'm glad you got closure on that," Maria replied, "Now, what about Benji?"

"I've been talking about him more," Anna sighed, "And I think I'm getting closer to forgiving myself."  
"That's good," Maria said, "But don't feel like you have to rush this recovery just because you've made huge leaps between our sessions, okay? Healing takes time, and sometimes you need to take a couple of steps backward before you push on." Anna nodded.  
"Thank you," she smiled, and she meant it.  
  


*

Leaving the counselor's office, Anna felt better. For so long, people hadn't believed her when she had spoken of the abuse she had suffered. Most claiming she must be lying or exaggerating, questioning why she didn't go to the police. But it didn't matter now. Thranduil had seen it; he believed her and had shown her every night since just how wrong Andrew had been about everything.

He appreciated her. He noted her efforts to maintain the house they all live in, the meals she prepared, and at night, well, she would be lying if his touch didn't feel like worship. She smiled dreamily to herself as she recalled the kisses he had trailed up her spine just before dawn.

There was one rule. They had to be back in their own rooms before Legolas woke up. The precocious little tyke had started asking questions about the families in his books and on television. Both Anna and Thranduil felt he wouldn't understand the dynamics of their burgeoning relationship, especially when he and his father had to return home next spring.

She just had a few supplies to get before she headed home. Passing a hair salon, she noticed a sign welcoming walk-ins. She glanced at her reflection in the window. She hadn’t had a cut in some time, her hair often just thrown up in a ponytail for convenience. It wasn’t lost on her that Thranduil seemed to love running his fingers through her hair when they lay in the afterglow.

She picked up a lock and looked at it. Split-ends, dead most likely, dull to boot. She sighed. While she could easily maintain Legolas' Hair, giving him the occasional trim, she couldn't do the same for herself. She didn't trust Ian with a pair of scissors since an unfortunate incident when he was seven that had left her with a bald patch.

She needed to have a professional do it. Besides, when was the last time she had spent money on herself? She couldn't even remember. She stepped forward and opened the door, feeling a small tremor of excitement at this rare treat.

When she left an hour later, she couldn't stop smiling. She wasn't generally bothered about her appearance. Still, it had been so relaxing to lay back and let someone wash her hair, massage her scalp, and talk to her about silly things.

Even the dark clouds hovering overhead couldn't dull her mood as she climbed back into the truck. She needed to get back. Legolas was over at Bubba's for a play date and sleepover, and she had Thranduil home alone. While she was sure he would be fine left to his own devices, she didn't want to risk Andrew appearing at the house again. She didn't need Thranduil killing him but couldn't help smiling at the idea.   
  


She tried not to think about what could happen if Andrew did turn up; after all, there had been no sign of him since Thranduil had chased him off. Instead, she tried to think about dinner. It was the first time she and Thranduil had been alone, she smiled at the thought, even as raindrops started hitting the windscreen.

No need to be discreet because there was a child around. No worrying about waking him when the headboard started rattling, no remembering to slip back into her own bed or him into his. She was enjoying the feeling of liberation she got when she was with Thranduil like she was free to be herself and experience the sensations he showed her.

There was no denying he was good at it, quickly picking up on what she liked. He had been honest and told her that after Imloth had left, he had taken sexual partners, but it was never anything more than that. He hadn't let himself feel anything more than desire for anyone. Her heart broke for him, to see how devastated Imloth had left him and still finding the strength to carry on for the son she had cast aside too.

A loud bang made her jump, and she slammed on the breaks. Instantly she could feel that the truck was tilting to one side. A damn tire had blown! She eased the car to the side of the road and got out. She groaned as she felt the rain pound down on her. So much for the styling, the salon had put in her hair!

She went to the truck's bed to find the jack and tire-iron, getting more and more drenched by the second. She would need a hot shower and some fresh clothes when she got in, she thought as she got the jack in place. She couldn't help but think about all the money wasted on her hair, now plastered to her head.

She started trying to remove the tire, it was jammed on tight. She grunted and cursed, asking Bubba's father, Robbie, to fix it last time. The man was built like an ox and had done a thorough job. Her foot slipped on the wet road, and she fell onto her back and in a freshly-formed puddle.

She hissed as she hit her head. Dammit! It wasn't going to budge for her. She hauled herself up and took the iron and jack back to the bed of the truck. She would have to get Robbie to come tow it back to the house. She was at least three miles from home. Almost an hour of walking in the rain. Fun! She grabbed the supplies from the cab before starting the long, uncomfortable trek home.  
  


*

Thranduil emerged from the living room as she slammed the front door shut with her foot. His eyes widened.

"Anna, are you well? What happened?" he asked as she passed him.

"I'm fine," she grumbled. She hated being soaked like this. She dumped the supplies on the table and shrugged off her wet coat. It was covered in dirt from where she had fallen.

"Anna," Thranduil placed his hand on her arm, "What happened? Were you attacked?" She looked up at him and saw his eyes scanning over her.

"Thranduil..."

"What happened to your hair?" he asked, scowling as his free hand ran over the sodden lengths, "Did he do this?" Anna frowned for a moment before she remembered. She had told him that Andrew had made her keep her hair short for the entirety of their marriage. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm fine," she insisted, "The truck blew a tire, and I had to walk the last few miles. I got my hair cut on purpose, it needed it. All I want right now is a nice hot shower." She moved to step around him, but he held her firm.

"Anna, are you certain nothing is wrong? You seem tense," he said, gazing intently at her.

"I'm just annoyed because I paid a lot of money for the salon to do something nice to my hair, and now it's all been washed away by the rain," Anna said, "I'll be fine after a shower. Do you want to join me?" Thranduil's scowl vanished instantly. She trailed one hand up his chest to his shoulder.

"Please?" she added, "Might as well take advantage of Legolas not being here." A low rumble came from Thranduil's chest before he gathered her up in his arms and kissed her. She pulled back, taking his hand in hers and leading him out of the kitchen. She could feel his gaze burning her as she led him up the stairs and into her bedroom.

He pulled her back against him, pulling her wet hair back to expose her neck. Anna could only bite her lip as he pressed gentle kisses to her skin whilst his hands moved to her jeans, slowly unfastening them and pushing them down over her hips.

"I liked your hair as it was," he murmured against her skin, "Why did you want to change it?"

"It needed it, it hasn't grown in months," she replied, "But it looked so good when I left the salon. It was shiny and curled." Thranduil turned her around and smiled.

"It would suit you," he said, "Hair is very significant to the Elves. We find it very arousing to touch our lover's hair."

"Is that why you like touching mine?" Anna asked. Thranduil didn't answer her. He leaned in and kissed her, his fingers finding the hem of her shirt.

Anna stepped away from him before turning and heading to the en suite bathroom. She couldn't hear him, but she knew he was keeping pace behind her. She turned on the water for the shower over the bathtub, knowing it would take a few minutes to heat up—more than enough time to get herself out of those wet clothes. And Thranduil out of his.

When she turned around, he gathered her back up in his arms, kissing her. Anna tugged his t-shirt up, grazing his skin with her fingertips as he did the same to her. His hands made quick work of her bra and panties as hers clumsily fumbled with his jeans.

She couldn't help the smile that crept across her face as she admired the warrior's body now revealed to her. It seemed surreal that he was actually there, wanting her, desiring her. She stepped away, and he followed her into the tub, drawing the shower curtain across, closing off the outside world. They stood underneath the water, the hot water soaking them, chasing away the cold. Thranduil's hands ran over her shoulders and arms, gently stroking her skin and making her shiver.

When she reached from the shampoo to wash her hair, he took it from her, gently lathering some in his hands before running them through her hair. It felt better than the scalp massage at the salon, and Anna couldn't help but let out a little moan.

"Does this count as foreplay for Elves?" she asked, breathlessly. Thranduil chuckled.

"This is beyond that," he answered, his voice dropping lower, "To caress a lover's hair is arousing, to care for and wash another's hair shows true devotion and caring. I want you to know what that feels like. You give so much of yourself for Legolas and myself. It would be remiss of me not to do the same."

He kissed her hard, his fingers still tangled in her hair. Anna pressed herself against him, lost in the sensation of his touching her. Her arms wrapped around him and her searching fingers found his hair. She tried to stroke it as he was doing to hers, but all she succeeded in doing was pull on it slightly. He grunted.

"Sorry," she whispered against his lips, "I...I didn't mean..."

"Do it again," he growled.

"What?"

"Pull my hair again," he ordered. Anna did as he said, and she was rewarded with another low growl from him, and the twitch of his cock against her stomach.

"Thranduil..."

"I liked it," he murmured, "No one has ever done that before." He scooped her up into his arms, and she wound her legs about his waist. He looked at her, and she felt her stomach clench when she saw how wide his pupils had blown.

If she had been standing, she would have squeezed her legs together. Instead, all she let out was a little whimper as Thranduil stepped forward. She gasped when her back was pressed against the cold tile wall behind her. Her back arched into him, and a wicked smirk crossed his face.

He shifted his stance a little, and Anna moaned, feeling him rub against her heated core. Her whole being prickled with awareness, suddenly mindful over every inch where their bodies touched. His hands on her thighs, his abdomen against hers, the brushes of his lips against her cheeks.

She slid her arms around his neck, gently entwining her fingers in his hair...and tugging again. He snarled into her throat.

"Do not start something you cannot finish," he warned as he pulled back to look at her, "Or else I shall take you here and now, and I cannot promise to be gentle." Anna cupped his cheek with one hand, her fingers molding to his jawline.

His words didn't inspire fear in her, even though they would sound like a threat from anyone else. He said he could not promise to be gentle, but Anna could tell he would never hurt her, not like she had been before. She trusted him, so again, she tugged gently on his hair.

Her breath was knocked from her when with incredible ease, his hips thrust upwards, and his hard length slammed into her. He braced himself against the wall with one hand, his eyes locked on hers and thrust again. Anna let out a long moan, clutching at him tightly, and he thrust again.

His strokes were long and even, finding that sweet spot deep inside her that made her feel weak and breathless. All she could do was hold on to Thranduil and take what he gave. All she could see was the faint outline of blue around his pupils, all she could feel was his smooth, hot skin against hers, all she could hear was his low pants and moans... and the slam of the front door downstairs.

The two of them froze, their minds struggling to process the sound of a potential intruder.

"Annie!" Ian's voice called, the sound of his feet pounding up the stairs, "Anna!"

"I'm in the shower!" she called back, one hand covering Thranduil's mouth. She watched his brow furrow.

"Are you okay?" Ian's voice was on the other side of the door, "I saw the truck..."

"Yeah, I blew a tire on the way home," she answered, hand still covering Thranduil's mouth, "I got home ten minutes ago. I just wanted to get cleaned up and into some fresh clothes before I called Robbie."

"Oh, thank god, I was worried," Ian said through the door, "I'll go call Robbie now."

"Thanks, Ian," she replied, "I’ll be down in a minute.”

Moments later, the sound of her bedroom door slamming shut made Anna breathe a sigh of relief, and she took her hand from Thranduil's mouth.

"That was close," she said softly. Thranduil said nothing as he withdrew from her and lowered her to her feet. Nervousness clawed at her stomach. Alarm bells ringing in her head. He was upset with her.

"Hey, Thran…." she started, but he pulled from her grasp and climbed out of the shower before she could finish speaking. Anna scrambled to follow, but by the time she had turned the water off and gotten out, he, a towel, and his clothes were gone.


	20. Need

Anna hurried down the stairs, a towel wrapped around her hair.

"Ian?" she called as she headed into the kitchen. She found her brother leaning against the sink, his phone in his hands.

"Good news," he looked up, "Robbie's going to go get the truck now, he still has the spare from last time."

"Oh, good," she breathed, "Legolas, okay?"

"Aside from him, Bubba and Jacob attempting to eat them out of house and home, he's fine," Ian chuckled, "Where's Fabio?" Anna paused.

"You haven't seen him?" she asked. Ian shook his head.

"Weird," she said, "I mean...he was home when I got back."

"Look, seen as he's not here, can I talk to you?" Ian gave her a look that generally filled her with dread. He was going into big brother mode, and that was always awkward.

“Okay," she said slowly, sliding into a chair at the table, still laden with her purchases. She moved the bags onto the chair, and Ian headed to the fridge to grab a drink. Apparently, this was going to be a long conversation.   
  


A small box fell onto the table when she moved the bags, and her stomach lurched. She quickly grabbed the box and shoved it into the bag out of sight. She didn't need her brother to see her new birth control. She hadn't bothered with it for years, ever since she had left Andrew, so he would find it suspicious, to say the least. Ian returned to the table and sat down.

"Look, I want you to be honest with me," he said, "Has something happened between you and the big fella?" Anna wasn't sure to answer.

"It's just cause... the last few times I've been here, the atmosphere has been different," Ian continued, "I mean, in a good way it seems at least, but…"

"But?" Anna inquired.

Ian sighed and leaned back in his seat, fixing her with another stern look.

"You have to admit," he said, "When he first got here, the arrogance and attitude..."

"Ian, don't," Anna pleaded, knowing where this was going.

"He was just like Andrew," Ian said firmly, "And I'm scared that if you get too close to him, you're gonna get hurt again, and undo all the work you've done in the last few years."

"He's not Andrew," Anna snapped, "And don't worry, I have zero intentions of going through all that again."

"If he tries..."

"He threatens to lay a hand on me," Anna said firmly, "I'll have Robbie up here with that shotgun so fast, it'll knock his pointed ears off. But that won't happen." Ian nodded slowly, looking away from her.

"I'm just glad you saw it, too," he continued, "I was worried you were so blinded by Legolas that you didn't see what was in front of your face."

"Thanks for looking out for me," Anna smiled. Ian grinned.

"Right, well, I'll get out of your hair, I got court in the morning."

"Have fun," she teased as he stood up.

"Hmmm, multi-million dollar custody case, fun," he replied, sarcastically walking towards the door.

As he left, Anna let out a sigh and leaned her head back. That wasn't as bad as it could have been. She had braced herself, expecting him to reveal that he knew exactly what was happening between her and Thranduil.

She felt long fingers brush against her neck, and she jumped. Thranduil had reappeared and was now sitting in Ian's vacant seat.

"Is it true?" he asked, "Did I remind you of that beast who hurt you?" Anna took a deep breath.

"Yeah," she admitted, "You did. I was scared that you were going to hurt me... or Legolas. But I know now, you're not capable of harming me. Not like that anyway." He reached out and cupped her cheek.

"I am sorry that I frightened you," he whispered, his eyes filled with remorse.

"It's okay," she said softly, her hand coming up to rest on his. She turned her face and kissed his palm before standing up and grabbing the bags from the next chair. She pulled out the box of birth control and dropped it on the table, so she would remember to take it upstairs and began unpacking the bags.

"What is this?" Thranduil asked, picking up the box and examining it.

"Birth control," Anna said simply. Thranduil was silent for a moment.

"I already told you that you need not worry about such things," he said, frowning, "It would require me to consciously desire to sire a child a child with you, Anna."

They had already had that conversation a few days before. It had made Anna feel incredibly uncomfortable to rely solely on him to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

"I know," she agreed, keeping her eyes fixed on the items she was unpacking, "I just want to make sure there are no accidents."

Thranduil exhaled with a snort and dropped the box back on the table.

"Don't," Anna warned, "I am protecting myself with this, okay?" Her voice was hard, and she could feel anger welling up inside her. He looked up at her, and she could see he still didn't truly understand. She took a deep breath.

"Look, Andrew was an absolute asshole," she said, "And I would have left him long before I did... if I hadn't gotten pregnant with Benji. And then he used that to keep me in line, told me I would mess up Benji's life if I left him." Her hands were shaking.

"I will NOT allow that to happen again," she finished. Thranduil's face softened.

"Forgive me," he said quietly, "I did not realize." Anna set down the can she was holding and put her face in her hands.

"I just... I just can't go through that again," sobbed quietly. She heard the chair move back, and then his arms were around her.

"If it will make you feel safe, then take them," he offered, "But know that I would never seek to control you as he did." Anna sighed and relaxed into his arms.

"I know," she whispered, feeling his lips press against her temple.

"I hope that one day you will trust me with this," he said softly, "And not worry about taking these."

Anna looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his face. She smiled, and he leaned in to lay a tender kiss on her lips before stepping away. He picked a few of the canned goods she had bought and took them out to the garage.  
  


Once out of sight and her hearing, Thranduil let out a shuddering sigh. The truth was he was glad Anna was taking precautions. The night before, he had been unable to cast the thoughts of the dream in the meadow from his mind.

He had found himself picturing her as a mother to his children. His lack of control had worried him, that if he took her fully, he would sire a child with her. Instead, he had pleasured her with his hands and mouth, and she had returned the favor with great enthusiasm.

When he had held her in his arms as she had slept, he could only think of the tiny elfling from the dream, Tiriel. It was no secret to himself that he had wanted more children. He had often tried to approach the subject with Imloth to no avail. She had wanted nothing to do with him after Legolas had been born.

Her refusal had hurt and made him reluctant even after their marriage ended to seek another to share his life with. His bed was another matter entirely. There had been no absence of lovers, but it never went beyond sexual release. They always parted ways the following day with good wishes but little else. Anna was the only one who had touched his heart.

He looked back towards the kitchen. Even now, despite being intimate not so long ago, he wanted her. He loved to hold her, feel her skin against his, her flesh in his hands, and watch her come undone because of him.

She had admitted to him that she had rarely achieved completion with Andrew. On the occasions she had, he often became violent. Anna was punished for daring to enjoy herself. The scar on her inner thigh had truly horrified him.

It had occurred very early on in their relationship when she was barely an adult, he had learned. Andrew had deigned to taste her intimately, and Anna had found pleasure in it. Her first climax, and it had been met with a vicious bite from him, and a warning.

Sometimes, Thranduil could feel her holding back, and he would take those moments and remind her she was safe with him, that he wanted her to cum, to feel her shatter with desire. The sensations it wrought were their own reward. To have her cry out his name, to sob from the bliss she felt. He did not need to spill his seed to find his satisfaction.

He placed the cans in their correct places and returned to the kitchen. Anna was putting away the last few items in the high cupboards where she hid Legolas’ contraband treats. She stretched to reach, and he observed her shorts ride up, revealing the thighs he delighted in having wrapped around him.

A throb from his groin reminded him that neither of them had been satisfied by their encounter in the shower. He waited until Anna turned and saw her eyes darken at seeing his own hungry gaze. He covered the small kitchen in a few strides and gathered her up in his arms, kissing her deeply.

"I need you," he growled against her lips when she pulled back. Another growl, this time of satisfaction, came when he felt her hands cup him through his clothes.

"What's the matter?" she grinned, "Blue balls?" He didn't understand the reference. Instead, he pressed his hips into hers until she was trapped between him and the kitchen counter.

"Do not toy with me woman," he warned her before pushing her shorts down over her hips. He lifted her until she was sat on the counter before dropping to his knees. She parted her legs, exposing herself to him, and he moaned.

He leaned in and sampled her, swiftly finding the swollen bud that brought her such delight. He pursed his lips and suckled on it, making her scream. She tried to close her legs, but he did not pull back.

"Thranduil!" she moaned, "Oh, god, don't stop!" He had no intention of stopping, not before dawn anyway.

Her legs shook about his head, her breath little more than pants when he pulled back enough to spear her with his tongue. His cock ached and throbbed for her. He knew if he looked down, his smaller self would be weeping for her, desperate to spill inside her.

Just as her whole body began to tremble, he pulled back, rising to his feet. Her legs spread wide, and her eyes pleaded with him, begging him to end this sweet torture.

"Please," she crooned, "Please!" He slid into easily, she was so slick, groaning at the warmth that now enveloped him.

"Anna!" he hissed, pulling her closer to the edge of the counter, rolling his hips into her. He looked into her eyes and found himself lost in the swirling colors, entranced by their uniqueness. His arms wrapped around her as his hips flew with wild abandon, his lips found hers, swallowing her screams.

She toppled into orgasm, but he did not let up, sending her quickly into another. Her body squeezed around him, trying to draw his seed from him. Her hands seized his hair and pulled.

The moment seemed to slow as his lips ripped from hers. He let out an involuntary snarl, his fingers curling over her thighs and pulling her against him. He wanted her. He wanted to ruin her for all others. He wanted all who might follow him to pale in comparison.

She came again, head tilted back and wailing as her body jerked violently. He heard something fall from the counter and smash upon the floor. He swiftly pulled from her just moments before he spent himself inside her, thick ropes of his fluids spurting across her exposed stomach as she whimpered his name.

His body twitched with each throb from his cock, sending more of his seed into her skin. A close call, he knew as slowly the sensations abated. If he had waited but a moment longer, he might have done something irreversible. He caught her lips in a gentle kiss, even as her fingers closed around his length and gently stroked, drawing out his orgasm as long as possible.

“Is that what happens?" she asked as they parted, "When the great King Thranduil is denied orgasm? Does it just build up?"

"I have never done something such as this before," he admitted, "And I will certainly never view this kitchen the same way."

"Why did you pull out?" she asked.

"I did not trust myself in that moment," he said honestly. A new deeper flush took over the post-orgasm pink of Anna's face.

"Oh," she guessed his meaning, "So, the birth control..."

"Was a good idea," he finished the sentence for her, "It was but a momentary lapse, however."

"Okay, but if it happens again in the next week, you need to pull out again," she warned, "It takes that long for them to work."

"I swear on my son's life, I will do so," he vowed, "Believe me, Anna, I..."

"It's okay," she said softly, "I know sometimes, people can get caught up in little fantasies or trains of thought they didn't intend to. And if your kind, as you say, have to 'will' for a child, I can see how it might happen sort of by accident."

"It usually requires that both partners feel the same way," he spoke softly.

"Sort of like a fail-safe in case one gets carried away?" she offered.

"Exactly," he smiled, "I have always wanted more children, and you are the first partner I have had who I truly knew would be a good mother. I swear, it will not happen again."

Anna didn't respond, she just stretched to meet him with a gentle and sweet kiss that sent all of his thoughts scattering once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of today, 31/07, I am taking a short break from writing, hopefully no more than a few weeks, as I'm feeling a little burnt out. I will be back, I promise!


	21. Emel

Thranduil must have been in a deep sleep, he reasoned, when he awoke to the gentle rustling of Anna moving about. The room was pitch black. Through the window, he could see the faint light of sunrise just creeping over the horizon.

For a moment, he was confused as to why she had left his side, sneaking from his embrace like a thief in the night. Then he remembered. They were to work on the neighboring farm to earn enough to keep them going through the coming winter. Instantly his dissatisfaction with her leaving the warmth of the cocoon they had created dissipated.

This was to support Anna and his son. In this world, he was not a King, and so he would work without complaint. He was no stranger to manual labor. The time between the fall of Doriath and his arrival in the Greenwood had been one fraught with hardships. He had learned to survive, and he had flourished under pressure.

He freed himself from the various blankets that had encased them and rose from the bed quietly. Anna had slipped through the door to the adjoining bathroom, and he followed her. She jumped, feeling his warm hands gently squeeze her waist as she stood at the sink. "I didn't even hear you get up," she whispered. "Nor I you," he said, "I was in a deep sleep." "Not surprising, after last night," she replied, a faint smile on her face. Thranduil matched her grin before kissing her neck tenderly.

It had felt wonderful to fall into sleep with her in his arms. Too often, he found rest elusive, knowing he would soon have to part from her. They had come to an understanding. Legolas was not to know about them. It would confuse and hurt the boy too much when they had to leave her behind if he knew of their intimate relationship. So they came to an agreement.

Thranduil would never be in her bed come sunrise. Legolas would never find them together. But last night, knowing that they would both be rising before the sun and there was no risk of them being discovered, he had found peace and rest in her bed. And it had healed a wound long forgotten.

After Legolas' conception, Imloth had never graced his bed again. He rested alone each night, no one to hold, no one to talk to, no one to comfort him when the pressure of being a King was too great. He had been utterly alone, and it had fractured his heart.

Within Anna's arms, his shattered heart was beginning to heal, little by little, each day. It would be so easy to become addicted to her, to the scent of her hair beneath his nose and the feel of her heartbeat when he placed his palm between her breasts. It had been the gentle rhythm of her heart that had lulled him to sleep.

He pressed another kiss to Anna's neck before stepping away and back into the bedroom, seeking his clothes from the various corners they had been flung to in passion. He was interested in meeting Bubba's parents, Robbie and Lynne. Their child was... well, unusual.

For one so young, he was very outspoken and far more worldly than was probably appropriate. Some choice phrases led Thranduil to believe that Bubba knew, in far too much detail, as the child himself put it, "where babies come from."

Once dressed, he padded quietly to Legolas' room. His son slept soundly; the only noise was his gentle snoring. Thranduil stood for a moment; the site of his little one so peacefully sleeping tugged at his heart. He lifted the warm coat from the hook on the back of the door and moved to the bed.

"_Ion nin_," he whispered, "We are leaving for the Ray's farm soon; it is time to wake," Legolas mumbled and rolled towards him, still dreaming. Thranduil carefully lifted him from between the blankets and into his arms. Legolas instantly burrowed himself into his father's chest. Thranduil carefully turned and lowered to sit on the bed, Legolas sitting astride his lap, and began to put the coat on his still sleeping son.

When they arrived, Anna had said, they would put Legolas in Bubba's bed to sleep for a few more hours. He would wake later, dress, and have breakfast with the other children. It was still quite chilly outside, so the coat was necessary and a thick pair of socks to keep his feet warm. A small pack with two clean sets of clothes sat by the bedroom door, and Legolas' boots were sat alongside their own by the back door.

Anna had thought of everything it seemed as he fastened the coat and lifted the socks from the nightstand. Legolas' fingers abruptly tightened, clinging to the front of his shirt, and Thranduil quickly wrapped his arms around the boy, fearing the sudden movement might cause him to fall.

"_Emel baw awarthan! Emel baw!_”

His small hands fisted in the material, and all Thranduil could think to do was hold him tightly and whisper to him. "_Sîdh, ion nin_," he spoke softly. "_Emel_!” Legolas cried out.

Anna appeared in the doorway just as Legolas began to sob.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "What is he saying?" Thranduil hesitated for a moment, placing a hand on his son's head.

"He is calling for his mother... begging her not to abandon him," he answered quietly, unaware he had begun gently rocking his son. Anna swooped in and lifted the weeping child from his arms.

"Hey, hey, sweetie," she cooed, "It's okay, I'm here. I'm right here, baby." Legolas' eyes flew open.

"_Naneth_,” he whimpered before putting his arms around her neck. Anna hushed and rocked him, whispering reassurances in his ear. Thranduil watched as his son’s small fingers wove into the loose strands of Anna’s hair.

For a moment, Thranduil sat watching them, feeling like an outcast as Anna gently kissed the side of Legolas' head. His crying had already begun to subside, and Thranduil was sure he would be asleep again before they got downstairs. Realizing he was still holding Legolas' socks, he stood and moved towards them. Anna smiled and turned so he could cover his son's feet.

"_Ada_," Legolas mumbled softly, one hand releasing Anna's hair and reaching for his father. The boy took hold of Thranduil's fingers and squeezed tightly. His eyes were already beginning to droop closed again; whatever dreams that had come to haunt him quickly faded after being reassured that he was not alone.

“You ready to go?" Anna's soft voice brought Thranduil from his thoughts. "Yes," he replied, his eyes meeting hers. She turned, still holding Legolas, and headed out the door towards the stairs. Thranduil lifted the pack waiting by the door. The two of them crept down the stairs in a bid to not wake Legolas once more, only disturbing him slightly when Thranduil took him so Anna could pull on her boots. In near darkness, they successfully got Legolas into his seat in the truck without waking him before climbing in themselves.

It wasn’t until they reached the road that either of them spoke again.  
“He didn’t mean me when he called for his mother, did he?” Anna whispered. Thranduil glanced over at her. He was surprised she had caught on to the fact that Legolas called for his _Emel_, rather than his _Naneth_.

"No," he admitted, "_Emel_ was his preferred title for Imloth, being easier to say for an infant."

"Then he does remember her," Anna declared in a hiss, "And her leaving him."

"Yes, so it appears," he agreed sadly, "But this is the first evidence I have seen."

"Well, let's hope it's one of those dreams he doesn't remember when he wakes up," Anna muttered, obviously angry at the elleth who had carelessly broken the heart of her own child.

He was surprised at how different she appeared. Her voice had a sharp, savage edge of anger to it he had not heard before, her whole body was tense, and she glared at the darkness outside the truck as though it had personally wronged her. She was angry at Imloth once again, and Thranduil marveled at the strength of her maternal feeling for a child that was not born of her own body.

He recalled the dream of the meadow. How, when darkness had threatened to turn something pleasant into a nightmare, Anna had held the children against her body, turning their faces away from the oncoming storm. Not for the first time, he wondered how Galadriel had known that she would be so perfectly suited to care for Legolas.

The sun was just starting to become visible as Anna turned off the road and onto a long driveway. At the end of it was a house. It was a little larger than Anna's humble home, but the light coming from the downstairs windows looked warm and inviting. Anna pulled up close to the front porch, and they got out. A delicious scent tempted Thranduil towards the front door, but he resisted, lifting a still sleeping Legolas from his seat.

"Oh, Lynne is making pancakes," Anna murmured, "You are in for a treat; she makes the absolute best!" Thranduil smiled at her childlike exuberance. This was a side of her he had not yet seen.

"I am certain that they cannot compare with yours," he said, thinking back to the first day he had arrived and the breakfast she had provided. Anna shook her head.

"No, mine have always cooled down by the time I get them on the table," she said, "Lynne regularly feeds a dozen or more people at breakfast; she gets them on your plate hot, so the syrup just melts and… oh, it's amazing." Thranduil chuckled as she shut the truck door and led the way into the house.

They were greeted at the door by a large man, bordering on the somewhat rotund side Thranduil noted. He ran a hand through a mop of unruly dark hair as he pushed the door open for them.

"Hey Robbie," Anna greeted the man, and she shrugged off her coat.

"Anna!" Robbie boomed loudly before spotting Legolas in Thranduil's arms and lowering his voice, "Sorry. Didn't wake the little fella, did I?"

"No, you're fine," Anna said, "This is Thranduil, by the way."

"Nice to meet ya," Robbie smiled, nodding to Thranduil, "Ian wasn't joking when he said he was a big fella." He looked towards Anna, who just shrugged.

"At least he didn't tell you his name was Fabio," she muttered, "Thranduil, this is Robbie, Bubba's father."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Thranduil said, nodding his head to the shorter man, "Your son is..."

"A damn pain in the ass?" Robbie suggested before laughing.

"Robbie!" Anna admonished, "Thranduil, hand me Legolas; I'll go put him down while you get something to eat. I trust Lynne is cooking up a storm."

"Nothing stops that woman," Robbie affirmed, a broad smile on his face as he looked to Thranduil, "She was still cooking dinner as the last tyke was crowning. Nearly gave birth on the kitchen floor."

Thranduil raised a brow as Anna lifted Legolas from his arms.

"She sounds... quite incredible," he commented.

"She comes from a good line of farming women," Robbie stated, puffing out his chest proudly as he spoke about his wife, "Nothing in this world stops 'em from doing what needs to be done. Go on and introduce yourself, kitchens at the end of the hall. I got to go wake Jacob anyway."

Thranduil watched as Anna headed up the stairs, Robbie close behind her. His sharp hearing told him that Robbie was asking questions about him. Anna seemed unperturbed and was answering them quickly and simply. He watched until they turned at the top of the stairs and disappeared from sight before making his way down the hallway.

He was keen to meet Robbie's wife, Lynne. The woman who continued working even as she labored with a babe. The kitchen door was propped open, and he could hear the clatter of pans as Lynne worked.

Entering the room, he soon found the source of Bubba's curly red hair. Lynne's thick red curls were piled on top of her head, bobbing as she moved around the kitchen with the grace of an Elven dancer. She obviously knew what she was doing and hummed a simple tune as she worked.

A bassinet stood close by, and he could hear the faint stirrings of a young infant from within. Lynne turned saw him.

"Oh my… you must Thranduil," she said, clutching her chest.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to frighten you," he apologized.

"It's alright," she replied, "Ian said you were a big fella but still… well, sit down, and I'll get ya some food."

"Thank you," he said, taking a seat at the table.

The infant in the bassinet grizzled, drawing his attention. "Shoot," Lynne hissed as she looked from the food she was preparing to the child, "Could you get her for me? She ain't hungry or nothin', she just wants to be held." Thranduil hesitated for a moment. This woman was practically a stranger, yet she asked him to hold and comfort her child. Then again, she was Anna's neighbor, and the two women were clearly friends.

Perhaps they viewed him as a friend too. He did not know why he was so reluctant. It was not as though he had never held an infant before. He slowly made his way over to the bassinet. The child ceased her fussing as his shadow loomed over her, blinking up at him with large blue eyes. Thranduil couldn't help but smile. The light covering of fair hair and blue eyes reminded him of Legolas as an infant.

"Now then," he said quietly as he reached in to lift her, "Why are we fussing so?" He lifted her, bringing her to rest on his shoulder as he had with Legolas years before.

"Well, I ain't never heard her go so quiet so fast," Lynne commented from the stove where she expertly flipped one pancake onto a plate and refilled the skillet with batter, "You're a natural."

"Perhaps so," he said, placing one hand on the baby's back to hold her safely against his shoulder, "What is her name?"

"Gracie," Lynne replied, "I think she likes you… or she's fixing to fill her diaper."

It felt soothing to hold a small child again. Legolas was still relatively young as an elfling. Still, there was something about watching a little one slowly discover the world around them for the first time that made his heart feel light. Although Gracie seemed most interested in his shoulder and attempting to gnaw on it. He did not mind and was once again reminded of the meadow dream and little Tiriel.

Thranduil shook his head and moved to sit down once more. He knew he should not focus on such things. It was a fantasy, whipped together in Anna's healing heart and mind, a mere reaction to seeing him act as the father her husband had failed to be.

The sound of boots on the hard floor brought his gaze to the door. It was Anna. She had successfully put Legolas down to sleep and had come seeking breakfast. She paused when she saw him holding Gracie, he couldn't name the emotion on her face, and it took her a few moments to respond to Lynne calling her name. The mysterious expression faded and was replaced with the bright smile he knew and was secretly growing to love.

*

Anna had forgotten how hard it was to work a farm as large as the Ray's. Her back felt sore already, and it had only been one day. She had a whole summer of this to look forward to. When Lynne offered her a break and some coffee, she gladly accepted. Thranduil had taken a drink of water but did not seem even close to tired. He appeared happy to remain outside, watching Bubba and Legolas with one eye and Robbie's latest attempt to break his new horse with the other.

"How many times has Robbie been thrown from that horse now?" Anna asked as she lowered herself onto Lynne's porch seat, watching Robbie land on his back in the dirt. "Oh, four or five," Lynne replied, fidgeting with her shirt to nurse Gracie, "And it'll be five or six more before he admits he wasted his money."

Anna shook her head, watching Thranduil approach the horse carefully. "What in the world is he up to?" Lynne asked. Anna didn't answer. She just observed as the horse seemed to calm the closer Thranduil got. _He’s like a damn horse whisperer_, she thought as he slowly reached towards the skittish creature. The horse seemed nervous but allowed Thranduil to place his hand on its muzzle.

Anna felt her stomach clench, remembering that same palm on her just hours before. Only then it had been holding her hip as he drove into her, his deep guttural groans telling her that he was close. "So how long you two been sleeping together?" Lynne suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Anna couldn't find actual words to respond, and Lynne raised a red brow.

"I've seen the way you two are with each other," the other woman teased, tilting her head slightly, "Folks only act like that when they've seen each other naked." Lynne waggled her eyebrows suggestively, still smiling.

Anna felt her cheeks flush and looked back towards Thranduil, who had now climbed onto the horse's back and was walking it around the paddock, much to the amazement of the other men. Whether it was his ability to tame the horse, or the simple fact he could ride with no saddle, she didn't know.

"It's just sex," she finally said, "He's leaving next spring."

"I've seen the way you look at him," Lynne pressed, her tone showing her disbelief in Anna's words, "You're not gonna be able to let him go. You're gonna catch feelings. Or pregnant." At Lynne's words, Thranduil's head snapped towards them, and he lost his balance.

He slid from the horse's back and landed in the dirt in a crumpled heap. Anna put her coffee down and ran towards the paddock. Robbie and a couple of the farm hands were already over the fence, leading the horse away, so that it didn't trample him. Robbie and another hand were starting to pull Thranduil to his feet as Anna clambered over the paddock fence.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked as Thranduil shook his head. "I am fine," he replied, patting the dust from his jeans, "I was... distracted." Anna couldn't help herself. She moved forward, running her hands over his arms and shoulders, checking his face for pain. "Are you sure?" she asked. He looked down at her, those perfect blue eyes piercing her soul.

_You’re gonna catch feelings. Or pregnant._

  
“More than anything,” he said softly.


	22. Trust

Anna knew she was dreaming... but she didn't care. Not this time. Because this time, she had her boy back in her arms. There was no crying, no screaming; his terrified voice wasn't begging for her to wake up and save him. It was just her and Benji, and he was safe in her arms.

This was a fond memory. No, Andrew. This moment belonged to a mother and her baby. Benji had been such a beautiful baby. Anna smiled down at the infant, cooing softly in her arms. She had treasured moments like these when he was alive.

Holding her baby and nursing him had made her feel complete. She had always known, even as a child, that she had two callings. One was to be a teacher, something Andrew had taken great pleasure in ripping away from her. The other was to be a mother.

Benji made a contented noise and she felt her heart swell. All around her, she could feel warmth and strength, keeping her happy and safe.

Thranduil.

She knew that he was there, outside the dream, holding her in his arms as she slept. It felt soothing, like she was in a bubble where nothing could touch her. She lifted her free hand and gently ran her fingers over Benji's soft hair. It was dark, like hers—nothing like Andrew's.

She could still remember the nurses remarking on how he was the first baby they had seen who resembled his mother so strongly. And she didn't care. There was nothing of Andrew in his sweet face. The moment he had been placed in her arms, she had felt whole.

"I love you, Benji," she whispered.

A door slammed, and she looked up. Thranduil's presence seemed to have faded, leaving her to feel exposed. Her heart began to pound, her eyes fixed on the door. It opened, and in stepped Andrew. She felt sick.

"What the hell are you doing?" he growled.

  
  


"He was hungry," she blurted quickly, moving her clothing to cover her breast, "He won't take the formula..." Fear gnawed in her belly as she watched Andrew's lips curl into a snarl.

"Then he'll stay hungry until he learns," he spat.

  
  


"I... I can't," she whispered, "I can't starve our baby."

"I don't give a fuck about your child," he hissed, his voice low. Anna tensed, and Benji began to cry. She knew what was coming.

In a split second, Anna managed to get Benji laid out on the couch beside her before Andrew grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the floor. She yelped in pain as she felt Andrew's knee pin her down.

“This is my house," he snarled, "And you... you are mine, mine to do with as I want."

"No, Andrew! Stop!" Anna pleaded, trying to push him off, but he was too strong. One hand pinned her head to the floor while the other reached up her skirt, ripping at her underclothes. Benji screamed from the couch, crying for her.

It had always ended this way. Andrew had been violently opposed to her breastfeeding, claiming her body was for him and him alone. He slapped her if he felt that she had held Benji too long; finding her nursing meant she would incur a far worse punishment.

Suddenly he was thrown backward off of her. Benji's crying ceased, and a hand touched her arm gently, rolling her over and onto her back. The memory of the old house melted away, replaced instead by her bedroom, lit only by moonlight, and Thranduil's concerned face looking down at her.

  
  


"Anna," he breathed, "You are safe now; it was only a nightmare."

Anna took a moment to simply look at him. As beautiful as he was in the sun, by moonlight, his grace was otherworldly. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, his hands holding her lovingly, and the slight chill of the summer night's air. She raised her arms, wrapping them around his neck and pulling herself up. He passionately returned the embrace.

"Anna," he whispered in her ear, his voice making her tremble, "What happened?"

"It was another memory," she replied softly, still clinging to him, "From when Benji was a baby. Andrew hated me having anything to do with him. He came home one day and found me nursing. He went into a rage, and… he…."

"Anna?"

"He... forced himself on me," she said quietly. It stung to even admit it to him.

Thranduil was silent for a moment before pulling back, tucking her into his side. He rested his brow on hers as tears fell onto her cheeks from her now-closed eyes.

"You are safe now," he reminded gently, "I would never... never do that to you."

"I know," Anna replied, tears continued to spill from her eyes, "I trust you." He fell silent again, and when she opened her eyes, he was watching her intently.

"You trust me?" he asked, tilting his head, considering her words.

"Yes," she answered honestly, "I trust you... completely." And it was the truth. She knew, in her heart, that she could trust him, that he would never hurt her, not like Andrew had.

The kiss caught her off guard. He had always eased her into them before, but this time, his lips were hot and demanding, his tongue instantly pressing into her. Her fingers dug into his warm skin as he held her tightly. Her whole body clenched, and she arched her back, pressing her chest against his as his tongue traced her lower lip.

She heard a deep, satisfied groan rumble up from his chest—another huge difference between him and Andrew. When Andrew made noises like that, it drove fear into her heart, but she felt a very different feeling when Thranduil did it.

She slid her hand up into his hair, giving it a light tug and earning herself a gentle nip from him. One of his hands slid into her shorts. This time it was her turn to groan. She pulled back from the kiss, gasping for breath.

She didn't know how he did it, how he knew exactly where to touch her, but he did. One long finger, expertly moving against her clit just the right way to make her feel boneless in his arms. He kissed her as she climaxed, swallowing her cries, so she didn't wake the sleeping child across the hallway.

He parted from her, both of them breathless, pupils blown wide.

"Anna.." he sighed her name. She could feel him against her leg. Even just a year ago, she could never have imagined herself in this situation, willing to do anything, and everything, with a man. Thranduil was no ordinary man, of that she was sure.

No one else could equal him, not his physical strength, his self-control, his beauty, or his warmth. His lips brushed against the shell of her ear, and she sighed.

No more.

No more would she let Andrew's tyranny hold sway over her as it had for so long. She was going to reclaim everything he had brutalized and stolen from her. He had made her fear him, and herself, her own body, her desires. No more.

She turned herself in Thranduil's arms, so her back was pressed against his chest, and shimmied her shorts down. Thranduil buried his face into her neck, moaning, his hard length pressed into the curve of her ass.

"Anna..." he whispered, fighting for control.

"Please, he took so much from me, and I trust you. I trust you to show me how wrong he was and how right it can be." Anna gently but firmly pushed back against him. His hand seized her hip, and he pressed a languid kiss to the soft skin where her ear met her neck. His hips pressed against her.

"Like this?" he coaxed softly.

"Yes!" she sighed, feeling her heartbeat quicken as his hand slid up her side. He trailed his fingers over her waist and under her tank top to find and caress her breast. She whimpered, her back arching, and pressed her rear into his length and her head into his shoulder.

Squeezing her thighs together, she worked to relieve the pressure she could feel building. Her heart was racing, her blood pounding in her ears, but she felt no fear. Thranduil would never hurt her.

He pulled her tank top over her head and discarded it onto the floor before wrapping his arms around her. One of his thighs pushed carefully between her legs as he kissed her neck, nibbling and sucking lightly. She reached back to stroke his hair, brushing her fingers against the pointed tip of his ear.

He moaned before turning her head towards him and kissing her hard. His tongue tangled with hers. He rolled her onto her front, lifting his weight from her and bringing her onto her hands and knees.

"If you wish for me to stop..." he began.

"I won't," Anna answered, her voice firm and confident, "Please, Thranduil, show me what it can be like."

She felt the bed shift beneath her as he moved. His warm skin pressed against hers, and she could feel him. His hard cock pressing against her soft entrance. He felt bigger this way, but she wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not. He pushed into her gently, and she whimpered in pleasure as she felt herself stretch to fit him. Behind her, she heard Thranduil groan softly, his fingers flexing against her flesh.

"Thranduil?" Anna hesitated, feeling her confidence waver slightly.

  
  


"_Ai Elbereth, Nach tongwain,_" he growled behind her. She couldn't understand the words, but she could sense the tone. He was loving it. She pressed back into him shuddering as he ran one hand up her spine.

"Anna," he breathed her name, "_Gi... gi mel…_" He didn't finish what he was saying. Instead, pulling back and thrusting into her. Anna bit down on the pillow in front of her to keep from screaming. Every sensation seemed more heightened in this position. She could feel every inch of him as he moved within her. She could feel every twitch, every throb.

She sighed his name over and over, pressing back to meet his thrusts, feeling herself grow slicker with each one. She clenched around him, and he moaned out loud.

"Please," she begged, "Please… oh, Thranduil, I want to... to..." The pressure inside her was becoming too much; she could feel her orgasm just out of reach. He slowed, his thrusts becoming shallower, but Anna didn't care. She wanted this forever.

To have him lay beside her, make love to her, care for and support her, and her him. She stilled from meeting his thrusts at the realization. Lynne had been right. At some point, she had allowed him too far into her heart.

She felt him pull her upper body up, so her back was pressed against his chest, his cock still buried inside her. He thrust into her again; Anna bit her lip, trying not to cry out. One of his arms slid across her chest, his fingers gently rolling her nipple in time with his thrusts while the other slid down, his fingers soon finding the swollen bud between her legs.

Anna reached behind her, grabbing the warm flesh of his ass as he bucked into her faster and faster. It felt so good and was made all the more heady by the realization she had just made. This man... this Elf... meant everything to her.

She loved him.

Her body shattered as the tension inside her snapped. She bit back her scream, letting out only a muffled whimper, her legs shaking uncontrollably.

"Anna," he breathed in her ear, "Anna... I... I love you." Anna turned her head to look into his eyes. Sliding her hand up, she pulled his head down and kissed him savagely, forcing her tongue into his mouth. He offered no resistance to her intrusion savoring the feeling of her body clenching tightly around him as the aftershock of her climax ran through her.

  
  


"I love you too," she whispered against his lips as she pulled back from him. He eased himself from her body. He was still hot and hard. Unsurprising as Anna knew he hadn't finished. She twisted herself away from him, so she was laid on the bed before him.

Her confidence was soaring sky high as she parted her legs for him, giving him a full view of his prize. He looked at her with hungry eyes before stepping off the bed. He pushed the bedroom door shut and muttered words that set her on fire again. "This time, _meleth nin_, I want you to scream my name." He turned away from the door and prowled towards her.

*

Andrew scowled and tossed the binoculars onto the back seat of the car. He looked back towards the house. There was definitely something about this hulking blond who protected Anna. What kind of a man fucked like that and still had a hard-on? Watching Anna come for a third time that night with the guy's head between her legs had been enough. To then see her return the favor, practically swallowing his cock whole while he tongue-fucked her swollen sex, had been too much.

And all of it playing out in full view of an open window. Andrew's hands fisted on the steering wheel. He was going to find out who this man was. And then, he was going to take great pleasure in ripping this little bit of happiness away from Anna. It would be a joy breaking her again.


End file.
